Advice for the Catholic church from the Associated Press' Rachel Zoll: BOLDING is mine.

For all of his inspiring qualities - personal charm, deep spirituality, acceptance of other faiths - Pope John Paul II's tight grip on church leadership and unwillingness to change unpopular teachings clashed with the more democratic approach that many of the 65 million U.S. Catholics favor.

At the end of his pontificate, John Paul leaves behind an American church uplifted by his piety, yet struggling with several of the same problems that preceded him: a dramatically shrinking U.S. priesthood, disagreement over the proper role for lay leaders, and a growing conservative-liberal divide over sexuality, women's ordination and celibacy for clergy

Let's see, religion should be democratic, a product of consensus. You would think after the scandals of the homosexuals in the priesthood, the talk of sex for the clergy would be anathma to our liberal press. But really, the thing that stings the media is this.

He emboldened conservative Catholics, who now have a greater voice through publications such as Crisis magazine and Eternal World Television Network.

AND

John Paul, through prayer and public statements, tried to preserve the special role of the priesthood and defend its all-male status...

Ya think the Liberal media will ever forgive him?