Pontificating

The editorial cartoons that immediately followed the death of Pope John Paul II were predictably, and appropriately, solemn. Lots of visual pontificating, lots of praise for the former Karol Wojtyla’s anti-communism and common touch. We paid homage to his globe-trotting, worked the usual angel angles, scrawled many a pearly gate scene and duly noted his oversize halo and enormous shoes to be filled.

Cartoonists, like good mourners, observed a 48-hour period of respect, then warmed up our pens. We started slowly, with some goofy speculating on reality-TV successor options — “The Amazing (G)race” — and harmless jesting at the diversity-conscious trial balloons surrounding a possible African, Asian or Latin American pope.

Finally, we got down to what we do best and used the occasion of someone else’s grief to air our grievances over Vatican policies on everything from war to poverty to female priests.

Then we hunkered down for the barrage of calls and e-mails from faithful readers.