There is no question that Pope Francis is a popular pontiff. He is beloved for his openness to other non-Catholic Christians, to those of other faiths, and of no faith; for his urging of believers to go out to the highways and byways to spread the love of Christ and the truth of the Gospel; for his determination to improve the operations of the Curia; for his rejection of the more regal trappings of the papacy; for his willingness to take on controversial topics and allow unprecedented dialogue about them; and for his devotion to the Blessed Mother. Few know that Pope Paul VI shared all those qualities and in important respects paved the way for the current papacy and the papacies succeeding his.
What distinguishes Paul VI was that he was remarkably prepared to assume the papacy, having studied and practised Church diplomacy and served in the higher echelons of the Curia. But nothing really could have prepared him for many of the challenges he faced.
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