The passing of time will allow for a more honest assessment of the legacy of the John Paul II. On this first anniversary of his death, it is timely to recall that the late pope was a deeply conservative man on many issues, including the role of women, divorce and matters of human sexuality, while he was also an outspoken opponent of the death penalty and an powerful campaigner for the protection of human rights.

His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, was handed a difficult task in matching that record. We have seen over the last year less high-profile activity from the Vatican, but the German pope has quietly imposed his own individual mark on the church he leads.

His deeply held conservative values have dominated. In terms of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Benedict XVI has made little impact with his flock.

His silence on the damning content in the Ferns Report remains a remarkable blemish, and it is a policy the Vatican would do well to review with the forthcoming inquiry into the Dublin diocese's handling of clerical abuse cases.