Globe-trotting Pope
The papacy of John Paul II has been marked by prodigious travel, determined opposition to Communism, suspicion of western consumerism and individualism, and conservative views on women, family and obedience to Church doctrine. 
He is the most traveled pope in history, and Catholicism's most vigorous and visible ambassador. Enormous crowds often turn out for his visits. In Manila, the Philippines, in January this year, the Pope celebrated mass before 4 million people. The huge crowds, however, do not necessarily translate into new legions of devoted churchgoers.
The Pope campaigned against Communism in Eastern Europe in writings, through sermons and with personal visits. The very existence of a Polish pope and his emotional visits to his homeland emboldened the Polish people to struggle against their government. The Church in Poland became a focus of opposition to the communist government, a sanctuary for meetings and defiance. Priests acted as couriers, smuggling messages between the Pope and Solidarity leaders.
Into the millennium?
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