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In this September 15, 1987 file photo, Pope John Paul II waves to the crowd of several thousand young people at the Universal Ampitheatre in Los Angeles, Calif. The pontiff addressed the group along with satellite viewers in Portland, Denver and St. Louis. As the beatification of John Paul II nears, American Catholics are showing renewed enthusiasm for a pope who inspired them like no other. Revered for his connection with young Catholics as much as his role in hastening the downfall of Soviet communism, his step toward sainthood will be eagerly watched in homes, churches and some of the 30 or so Catholic schools named for him in the U.S. Hanging over the celebration for some is the shadow of the church's sex abuse scandals and concern that the process have moved too quickly. (Photo by John Spink/AP Photo)
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