Pope John Paul II has beatified and canonized more individuals than all his predecessors put together. Since these solemnities occur with such frequency, they receive at most perfunctory mention in the American press. The beatifications taking place in Rome on Sept. 3, however, have excited notice b

Perhaps as Garry Wills states in his opening sentence Catholics have fallen out of the healthy habit of reminding one another how sinful popes can be Yet many Catholics I know have watched enough television to know that Julius II armor-clad led his troops into battle and that Paul III made his