The Pope

Thank God for John Paul's 'polarizing papacy'. How would the 80's have been different if Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II weren't the leaders they were? Well, if Carter were to have been re-elected, he would have written off Central and South America, would have signed every agreement the Politburo wanted and would have moaned how we were inferior to the great Soviet experiment. Everyone in the Western World should thank their deity of choice that Carter was booted, the Brits stuck with Thatcher and the Cardinals chose a relatively unknown Cardinal from a country in which practicing religion could get you executed.

There was some talk about the Pope's secret Cardinal and some guessing as to where he might be. There are large numbers of Christians in Hong Kong and Shanghai. So my personal guess is China, another country were practicing religion is a capital crime.