Religion: An Essentially Pastoral Visit

In Canada, John Paul mixes strong words and tact

He came to preach about "the issues of our time, concerning culture, the community, technology, the family, sharing and justice." But, he said, his visit was "essentially pastoral." As Pope John Paul II launched a twelve-day, 8,000-mile voyage across Canada last week, it seemed as if the Pontiff had decided to avoid major political or doctrinal controversy. Instead, on his 23rd foreign tour, the first papal visit ever to Canada, John Paul concentrated on his forte: warming the crowds who come to see him, then using the glow he inspires to stir reflection.

During...