Papal biographer calls Pope John Paul II a hard act to follow

Published: 2003-10-16

PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- The next time the world's cardinals meet to elect a pope, they will face "a long and difficult process" because the current pontiff's accomplishments will be impossible to match, papal biographer George Weigel said in a lecture Oct. 7. "You are not going to be able to top the most influential pope to come along in 500 years," Weigel told about 175 people gathered at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Hall in Peoria. He said one of the biggest tasks facing the next pope will be "helping the church digest" the teaching and vision of Pope John Paul II. "We have not yet scratched the surface" of all of Pope John Paul's ideas, he added. Weigel is a syndicated columnist in the Catholic press and author of the massive 1999 biography of Pope John Paul, "Witness to Hope."

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