Here is a poll on another site about Pope John Paul II legacy...

...I thought his speaking out for the poor in the world was his strongest advocacy, but apparently most respondents don't agree. Perhaps I've been duped as to how this Pope managed to add 250 million new followers to the Roman Catholic Church around the world almost entirely in poor developing countries.

<snip of results>

Total: 2874
What is Pope John Paul II's most important legacy?

Reaching out to others in his travels and more 17%

Improving interfaith relations 15%

Upholding the sanctity of life 13%

Inspiring young people 10%

Speaking out for the poor 4%

Promoting peace in the world 20%

Exemplifying dignity in suffering 5%

His role in the downfall of Communism 17%

<more>
<link> http://www.beliefnet.com/pope.html

It is still very early in the poll, so if you want to participate you'll find the questions in the lower right of the page at the above link

its like freaken catnip to them.

...evangelicals or the protestant versions of Christianity in similar numbers? My guess is the structure that Catholicism provides along with many direct benefits for the poor which give the poor hope. A sense of community, education, medical care, social programs which their societies fail to provide. Over 1 billion people in the world consider themselves to be catholics active in their churches and communities. That is well beyond any other Christian denomination.

Of course, I still believe what Karl Marx said, that religion is the opiate of the masses. But looking at evangelicals and fundamentalist Protestant churches, these groups are clearly the religious opium dealers.

that effects their recruitment stradegies. Catholics tend to believe the more people that are Catholic the better. They have footholds throughout poor areas, because of their long history of trying to convert the heathens under the foot of European Imperialism. Evangelicals are more focused on the United States. I could go into more detail, but I thinks thats the gist of why.