John Paul Ii

When Pope Benedict XVI sets foot in Jerusalem today, he will be only the third pope in history to do so. The visit comes at a crucial time for both Catholics and Jews. For the pope, it is an important opportunity to put behind him the fiasco of having welcomed an avowed Holocaust denier, Bishop Richard Williamson, back into the church -- a decision he was later forced to reverse.

On Dec. 2, the headline read: "Ex-Boxing Figure Flores Dies at 78." Two weeks before his death, Johnnie Flores was working the corner of fighters at the Forum, where his skill and expertise were indispensable. Flores was as active then as he was more than 40 years ago. Johnnie Flores was as much an "ex-boxing figure" as John Paul II is "ex-Pope." My goodness, the man died at his boxing gym. RALPH LLAMAS, Pacoima

Paolo Dezza, 98, the second-oldest Roman Catholic cardinal and the Jesuit scholar chosen by Pope John Paul II to rein in the left-leaning Society of Jesus. Dezza, born in Parma, Italy, began the 14-year training of a Jesuit in 1918 and was ordained in 1928. In 1941, he was appointed rector of the most prestigious academic institution of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, attended his lectures.

Re "Vatican Sanctions Accused Priest," May 20 That Pope Benedict XVI removes the "filth" of sexual abuse with a simple demotion of a sinful priest hardly seems newsworthy. However, when taken with the photo of John Paul II blessing the same accused child molester, one must acknowledge the progress of the Catholic Church. RICHARD BAKER Beverly Hills I disagree with the sentiments expressed in the editorial, "Penance and the pope" (May 23). I think it unfortunate that Pope Benedict XVI has sent such an ambiguous and disingenuous message to the people of God, especially to victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse, after so many years of prevarication by the Catholic Church's hierarchy, including the high praise bestowed on Father Marcial Maciel Degollado by the late John Paul II and highly placed friends within the Vatican.

The Roman Catholic Church did the most unexpected thing Tuesday by doing the expected. The last two papal conclaves seemed to shrink from anyone seen as a front-runner. The quick election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger speaks quiet volumes about what cardinals seek from the new pope: a stable interregnum after 26 years under the charismatic Pope John Paul II.

In an attempt to quell growing international protest, Pope John Paul II and Vatican officials met with Jewish leaders last week in Italy, at the Pope's summer home. As the joint communique issued after the meeting put it, the Jewish delegation "expressed its dismay and concern over the moral problems raised" by the Pope's recent audience with Austria's President Kurt Waldheim.

The Roman Catholic Church may seem slow to respond to modern times, what with its unyielding doctrine on such issues as birth control. That fuddy-duddy image is being tested, though, by the Vatican's decision to put Pope John Paul II on the fast track for sainthood, waiving the usual five-year wait after death before starting the process.

Pope John Paul II is set to visit the United States at a time when his popularity here has been steadily slipping. Among young people in this country he appears to have been almost forgotten in recent years. John Paul II started off as the most popular Pope ever, according to "most admired man" surveys by the Gallup Poll and the Gallup Youth Survey.