History May Not Repeat—But It Rhymes!
In June of 1979, Pope John Paul II visited his native Poland—a nation a restive nation under the seemingly iron grip of Soviet Communism. Ten years later communism—and Soviet rule—ended in Poland. Much happened in the ten years between these two dates to bring this about. However, it was the Pope’s initial visit which set these events into motion. The ruling Communist regime suspicious of the visit, required that the Pope make no statements which were of a political nature—or could even be implied to be so. The Pope agreed. He complied. All that he did was to say mass at his public events. However, what happened was that the Polish people assembled in their millions at his multiple masses. Communism was officially atheistic. It maintained mass and individual surveillance over the entire population. No one could trust anyone except, possibly, close family members. So, when the people assembled in their millions; for the first time they could all see that THEY were the vast m...