Memory and Identity : the Polish Pontiff's role in the collapse of communism ...
What kind of a role did John Paul II attribute to himself in the demise of communism
in his book "Memory and Identity , Personal Reflections", published shortly before
his death in 2005 ? Was it really a front-line role ?
The chief organizer
of almost all of this Polish Pontiff's journeys abroad, Jesuit Cardinal Roberto Tucci
read the book and comments how : ..." It is ridiculous to think that it was the pope
to have caused the collapse of communism with his own hands ..".
The cardinal
also highlights how despite the fact that both Gorbacev and Jaruzelski had stressed
the Polish Pontiff's role in the collapse of this regime , the Holy Father himself
denied having been so instrumental in the process. Rather attributing importance
to: " the insufficiency of the socio-economic system ...the role of the Trade Union
"Solidarnosc" Movement ...".
In this feature Cardinal Tucci also explains
how in his opinion this Roman Pontiff's roots and past history played into the historical
process of the time, sharing with us the words of another Pole, Cardinal Wyszynski
...
Listen to this programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick::