Here are excerpts from an article published on March 1, 2001, by Michael H. Brown (spiritdaily.com):
In recent years, John Paul II has issued warnings about the United Nations and its potential effect on the world. In an insidious fashion, the U.N. is trying to move the world toward global governance. We're troubled because the U.N. has demonstrated an anti-Christian approach, which is seen in its policies toward feminism and abortion.
In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development appeared in effect to legitimize abortion on demand and accept artificial contraception methods — pitting it directly against the Vatican, where John Paul II actually cried "We protest!" from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square one Sunday in April of that year. When it comes to the U.N., the Pope has thundered like an Old Testament prophet! "John Paul II had decided to declare his own state of war against the United Nations," wrote Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi in a biography of him. "He was furious. His closest friend in the Vatican, Cardinal Deskur, had never seen the Pope in such a rage. Usually John Paul II paid a visit every week to the ailing cardinal. Seated at the table where Deskur had arranged so many dinners to launch Bishop Wojtyla, John Paul II spoke freely. 'They are causing the shipwreck of humanity.' His condemnation referred to both the U.N. and the Western democracies."
As one correspondent, Lee Penn, points out, world political and spiritual leaders held a hectic series of summit meetings at the U.N. last summer. "There were few discernible results — other than providing additional proof that the U.N., many non-Christian spiritual leaders, and most of the organizations associated with the U.N. are hostile to traditional Christianity, and support a government-regulated global economic system." The U.N. has sought to unite religions on eco-spirituality and earth-based religions. During the 1990s, it began a program that included the mailing of suggestions for ecological sermons to thousands of churches around the world.