In 1984 the Vatican declared that the church’s condemnation of Galileo in 1633 had been in error; John Paul subsequently stated that Galileo had been “imprudently opposed” by the church. He invented World Youth Day, which is bringing about real rejuvenation where the Church needs it most. John Paul II dealt lethal blows to many dictatorships.

The Soviets’ internal economic decay, the bold leadership of Ronald Reagan, and the fact that the Soviets did not invade Poland in 1980 as they did Hungary in 1956 all were crucial factors that led to the reunification of Europe and the end of the Cold War. Meanwhile, in 1983, the pontiff visited Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, then ruled by the extravagant dictator “Baby Doc” Duvalier. A few months later, Pinochet held a referendum asking the Chilean people if they want a return to civilian rule (which they did).

“How many divisions has the pope?” Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin once famously said, scoffing at the notion that the Roman priest-monarch could have any real impact on the world.


He was also a skilled writer. Principal co-conse… He also prayed before the Western Wall. From Poland to El Salvador, his travels often had explosive consequences. John Paul II, however, was always true to his convictions. His contribution to Vatican Council II is significant. Most countries in the region were ruled by ruthless military dictatorships. From the start of his pontificate, John Paul cultivated personal contacts with Jewish leaders and continued to assert, as he had in Poland, that the Jews are, for Christians, “our elder brothers in faith.” In 1986 he became the first pontiff known to have entered a synagogue, when he embraced the chief rabbi at the Great Synagogue of Rome. The Vatican document We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah (1998) reviewed various aspects of Catholic anti-Jewish prejudice that contributed to the Holocaust. With the exception of communist Cuba, most countries in Latin America today enjoy democracy. British historian Timothy Garton Ash, who covered the rise of Solidarity for the English-language press (and who himself regards himself as an “agnostic liberal”) has written: “I would argue the historical case in three steps: without the Polish Pope, no Solidarity revolution in Poland in 1980; without Solidarity, no dramatic change in Soviet policy towards Eastern Europe under Gorbachev; without that change, no velvet revolutions in 1989.”.
John Paul ii can be credited with bringing many modern elements to the Vatican. The latter credited the Pope with the collapse of the Iron Wall, and said that it could not have been possible without his involvement. Most people want to be like Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde’s famous novel and remain young and beautiful forever. Two more rounds of voting this afternoon. He was also the first pope to link the protection of the natural environment firmly to Catholic theology, declaring in 1999 that destruction of the environment “can be a grave sin” and “a sign of real contempt for man.”. Fax: 972-3-561-3699 Most political leaders today are dead fish, changing their minds based on what the polling data says. October 22, 2016