1. Pius XII remained the paradigm of what a pope should be. 2. It was these self-interests that a distant pope was to find difficult to overcome. 3. Not all popes were interested, as we shall see, in the furtherance of political power. 4. But this pope was concerned with veracity and uniformity. 5. This was household government and justice could be dispensed wherever the pope was. 6. At the heart of the system was the pope, industrious in clarification and in civilizing procedure. 7. Nor was the pope immune from criticism and the new pope, Innocent, is described by one writer as caring only for worldly goods. 8. Those old popes were keen on music, on art, and statues and pictures of all kinds. 9. And the pope is not as spry as he used to be. |