I agree about his politics, but that is not a Christian issue. I believe Christianity thrives best in a free market of course, but there are Christians in every communist country in the world too. He came from a socialist leaning background where no doubt he was taught that the US was evil because it had money, etc... So I will try not to judge his (incorrect) views on politics too harshly and try to look at the big picture. John Paul II was a great political pope, but a classic Marian who probably never thought of Jesus as anything more than a glowing baby or a dead body on a stick, I get the opposite impression from this pope. Funny you should mention charasmitic mass since this pope fully embraces the charismatic gifts including tongues coming from South America where there has been a large outpouring of the Holy Spirit including even the Catholic church. Outside of the political world, I feel a lot more in common with this pope coming from a Pentecostal background than I have ever before. I didn't even know Catholics EVER washed feet