Tens of thousands of people jammed the main boulevard leading to St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican to bid a final farewell to Pope John Paul II. They joined kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers for the culmination of one of the largest religious gatherings in modern times.

Throughout his long papacy, Pope John Paul II reached out to the world. In his lifetime, the complex, charismatic Pope was a powerful thinker, symbol and star. Now, in death, it seems that everyone wants to make his aura their own, to claim his teaching as their inspiration.

Hear a conversation with eminent Catholic thinker James Carroll about the legacy of Pope John Paul II.

Guests:

Alan Cooperman, correspondent for The Washington Post in Vatican City

James Carroll, essayist , columnist for The Boston Globe, author of “Constantine’s Sword” and “Crusades: Chronicles of an Unjust War.”