▁is ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II . ▁While ▁Pope , ▁he ▁was ▁called ▁a ▁reaction ary ▁and ▁an ▁ult ra con serv ative , ▁and ▁was ▁often ▁critic ized , ▁str ident ly ▁at ▁times , ▁by ▁the ▁media , ▁non - C atholic ▁and ▁C athol ics ▁al ike . ▁He ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁his ▁views ▁on ▁sex , ▁hom osex ual ity , ▁birth ▁control , ▁and ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁church . ▁He ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁canon izations , ▁including ▁the ▁canon ization ▁of ▁Op us ▁De i ' s ▁founder , ▁Jos em aría ▁Es cri vá . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁George ▁We ig el , ▁in ▁Wit ness ▁to ▁Hope , ▁even ▁many ▁Catholic ▁the olog ians , ▁especially ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁relativ ist ▁and ▁sec ular ist ▁t endencies , ▁re bel led ▁against ▁his ▁teaching ▁mag ister ium , ▁critic izing ▁his ▁views ▁about ▁mor ality , ▁ec umen ic ism , ▁the ▁sacr aments , ▁and ▁the ▁ord ination ▁of ▁women . ▁We ig el ▁also ▁says ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁many ▁attempts ▁to ▁assass inate ▁him . ▁He ▁mentions ▁some ▁histor ians ▁and ▁investig ators ▁who ▁made ▁very ▁pla us ible ▁connections ▁with ▁commun ist ▁leaders ▁who ▁fe ared ▁his ▁influence ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁died , ▁the ▁commun ist ▁govern ments ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁had ▁already ▁fallen . ▁Trad itional ists ▁critic ized ▁him ▁for ▁being ▁too ▁open ▁to ▁other ▁relig ions . ▁