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Though it was possible to question the lasting impact of Paul's peacemaking address, it was impossible to deny that his mission was an unmistakable land mark in history, another great personal triumph for the Pope. Perhaps the most lasting effect of the pilgrimage would be what theologians might call a "demythologizing" of the papacy. In escaping again the museum-like confines of the Vatican for the secular world, the Pope dramatized his wish to be not only the Vicar of Christ but also the servant of the servants of God. In a world grown tired and suspicious of ritual and mystery, it was well for the humble man Paul to be recognized beneath the exalted churchly office. For the more the world was able to see his stature as a man, the more, perhaps, it might be willing to heed his words as Pope.
* Paul's visit was given almost continuous coverage by all three networks and the city's independent stations, was seen on TV by about 125 million Americans.
* The famed statue will return to Rome by ship on Nov. 2, two weeks after the fair closes. It is unlikely that it will ever be moved again. Recently it was decreed that henceforth Vatican art treasures may not be sent out on loan.