Twenty-five years ago, Karol Joseph Wojtyla was chosen by the College of Cardinals to lead the Roman Catholic Church. The papacy of John Paul II had begun.

I'm a JP fan. Of course, he's the only Pope I've ever known, but his work on the international stage for peace and his bridge-building with other religions should be applauded. On his 25th anniversary at Vatican, Pope John Paul II deserves some props.

I actually fundamentally disagree with a billion and one things dictated by the Catholic Church (see July 31, 2003 / 19:54 EST). On everything from birth control, to same-sex marriages, to abortion and the role of woman in the church, JP and I butt heads. The Roman Catholic Church has a long way to go before they actually join us in the 21st Century. But, all in all, progression has been made. The Vatican has even published a document entitled Ethics In Internet. Now that's progress.

My strongest beef with John Paul is with the way he has devalued saint hood. Since 1978, John Paul II has beatified 1,314 people and canonized 476 saints. This is a greater total than all of the previous 262 Popes put together. It seems every other person you come across has been beatified by JP. How is that special?

Having said that, the Pope is going to beatify Mother Teresa tomorrow. If anyone in my lifetime deserves to be a Saint, it's her. In Mother Teresa's own words, "By blood I am an Albanian, by citizenship I am Indian, by fact I am a Catholic nun. As to my heart, I belong entirely to Jesus."