Dearden drew the attention of the national media for "his innovative approach to the new liturgy and teachings." He was characterized as a "progressive" and a "liberal" and was even condemned by "The Wanderer" as "a major heretic, one of the worst the Catholic Church has ever suffered from." The New York Times speculated that in 1979 when Pope John Paul II came to America, answering an invitation to speak at the United Nations, he "snubbed" Dearden by not scheduling a visit to Detroit "in favor of John Cardinal Cody of Chicago, whose conservatism the Pope found more to his liking." Despite his liberal outlook, Dearden had "too many theological objections" to support the ordination of women.