We are living in an age in which the whole world proclaims freedom of conscience and religious freedom, and also in an age in which the battle against religion - defined as "the opium of the people" - is being fought in such a way as to avoid, as far as possible, making any new martyrs. And so the programme for today is one of face-saving persecution: persecution is declared non-existent and full religious freedom is declared assured. What is more, this programme has succeeded in giving many people the impression that it is on the side of Lazarus against the rich man, that it is therefore on the same side as Christ, whereas in fact it is above all against Christ.
--Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, (Pope St. John Paul II), Sign of Contradiction, 1977
