Enter another world. There are many infamous popes in annals of papacy. Sample this list: The “monster” and “terrorizing criminal,” Pope Sergius III. The grand adulterer, Pope John XII. The “antichrist,” Pope Boniface VII. The simonists Popes John XV, John XIX, and Benedict VIII. The robber of “pilgrims on graves of martyrs,” Pope Benedict IX. Others are exterminator, Pope Innocent III. The professed atheist who called Christ a “hypocrite,” Pope Boniface VIII. The violator of “three hundred nuns” and “two hundred girls” called “Devil incarnate,” Pope John XXIII. The fathers of illegitimate children and keepers of concubines, Popes Pius II and Paul II. The amusement seeker, Pope Leo X. The most corrupt Renaissance pope who had sex with his sisters and daughter and conducted a sex orgy in Vatican, Pope Alexander VI.

But fame or infamy is not exclusive preserve of men and popes. Because some countries have joined list. Examine Poland. That nation is better known for wars and pogroms, communism and concentration camps—not for simile, as honest as a Pole. Or rather as honest as John Paul. I did not affix pope to that name because honesty seems to be a strange quality in history of popedom. Holiness is an anathema to vicars of Christ!

But Pope John Paul II did separate himself from infamous list before he died. Not when he goofed and said that Bible book of Genesis is compatible with theory of evolution. For evolution and creation are two opposite things. The pope proved that he was in another class when he apologized for sins of Roman Catholic Church. It takes a lot of courage to do so and many dyed in wool Catholics were opposed to “mea culpa.” But John Paul could not be deterred. He was a honest pope.