Pope John Paul II visited the Netherlands and received a remarkably unfriendly reception. There were street riots and also barbed comments from his hosts.

When Pope John Paul II takes to the road, crowds are almost always huge and the mood celebratory. The Pontiff’s magical spell, however, was abruptly snapped in the Netherlands last week during his 26th foreign journey. The Dutch, with 5.6 million Roman Catholics among 14.5 million citizens, accorded John Paul…

The song Popie Jopie is but one indication of the hostility that will greet Pope John Paul II when he arrives in the NL. The purpose of the Pope’s visit is to defend orthodox church teachings.

“My name is Popie Jopie./ I happily travel ’round,/ And always when I arrive/ I spontaneously kiss the ground . . .” So runs last week’s fifth- most-popular song on Holland’s hit parade. The mild piece of satire contains a punster’s slap at Pope John Paul II: popie jopie is…

On the death of Pope John Paul I, Dutch Cardinal Willebrands said it was a disaster. He had a feeling that something fresh was going to happen to his church.

“How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments, how unsearchable his ways!” St. Paul’s words rang out across St. Peter’s Square in the genial, high-pitched voice of John Paul I on that happy day last month, Sept. 3, when he was…

In a country precariously balanced between Protestants and Roman Catholics, the crisis flared up again when Princess Irene and Prince Carlos went for an audience with Pope Paul VI.

THE NETHERLANDS

Stuffed tripe, boiled eggs, Edam and Gouda cheeses, several kinds of sausage, salt shakers filled with chocolate to sprinkle on the bread and butter—it was the usual Sunday breakfast enjoyed by a prosperous Dutch middle-class family. The quarrel raging over the breakfast table was recognizable too. The…