Associated Press, The Morning Call, Lehigh Valley, 10/11/98

John Paul 11 has been firm on maintaining traditional Roman Catholic teachings, showing little patience for those who choose se­lectively what precepts to follow. Some of his positions:

ABORTION: Calls it "abomi­nable crime" and "shame of hu­manity." Says stopping abortion, and euthanasia, is nothing less than "the salvation of man and of civilization."

CONTRACEPTION: Maintains church's ban, putting contra­ception in category of "disparage­ment of human life." Says birth control created false freedom, de­cline of values, erosion of con­science.

 HOMOSEXUALITY: Says ho­mosexuals should be treated with compassion, but rules out sex be­tween gays, along with any sex outside marriage.

 DIVORCE: Continues stricture on divorced and remarried Catholics receiving communion, but they may attend Mass.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT:  Says it should be "very rare, if practically non-existent."

PRIESTS: Says they are male because Christ was male and chose male apostles. Retains celibacy rule as Jesus' ideal and in keeping with priests' duties.

ALTAR GIRLS: Vatican en­dorsed girls serving at altar in 1994, but practice was already widespread.

 LIBERATION THEOLOGY:  Criticizes this movement, which sees church's mission as lifting people out of oppression and pover­ty, when it includes Marxist doc­trines like class struggle and vio­lence for social and political change.

ECONOMICS: Preaches against rampant capitalism, unre­strained quest for profit and unbri­dled materialism.

A CORNUCOPIA OF DEATH, 4/12/05

Arianna Huffington       {excerpts—JK)

His archaic position on condoms contributed to the deaths of millions of people, especially in Africa.