In new book, pope wonders if he has been strict enough as a leader

Published: 2004-05-17

ROME (CNS) -- In a new autobiographical book, Pope John Paul II says he thinks he may have been too lenient as a pastor. "The pastor's role also includes admonishing. I think that, in this category, I have perhaps done too little," the pope wrote in "Get Up, Let Us Go," a book distributed in Italian and other languages May 17. "There's always a problem of balance between authority and service. Perhaps I should rebuke myself for not having tried hard enough to command," the pope said. "In a certain sense, that's a result of my temperament," he added. The book reviews his 20 years as a bishop in Poland, but also includes reflections on activities following his election as pope in 1978. An English edition was expected to be published in the coming months.

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