The fall of comunism
Talking about Poland, there’s a great name often related into it, Karol Józef Wojtyla or we used to called him as Pope John Paul the 2nd.
Pope John Paul II was someone who very much loved by the people of Poland, no doubt about it! Born in Wadowice, Poland in 1920. Before becoming Pope, he studied at Jagiellonian University in Krakow and became archbishop in the city for 15 years. Krakow community called “Wujek Lolek” (Uncle Chuck), and he is known as a friendly person, like humor, and fond of exercise. He played a lot of skiing and hiking with young children! Not surprisingly, the city of Krakow in Poland has the most / build historical places associated with him.
To the world, known as John Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005 with their work in the fields of peace, especially the Catholic reconciliation with other religions. For the people of Poland, he was not just a religious leader. He is an inspirational figure, a hero who was instrumental in overthrowing the communist regime in Poland and eventually the ground water throughout Eastern Europe.
Epic moment began when he visited Poland for 9 days on 2 to 10 June 1979 and a visit several cities in Poland including Warsaw, Gniezno, Czestochowa and Krakow. His visit was greeted and hundreds of thousands of citizens were willing to jostle to be able to attend the holy Mass with him. At that time Poland was still under the grip of a repressive communist Soviet Union without any freedom of speech. Comes within the context of religion, Pope John Paul II did not preach about politics or encourage listeners to oppose the regime openly. However many times he warned about the spiritual identity, culture, and history of the Polish people. “You are not who ‘They’ say you are,” said the Pope, “let me remind you WHO you really are.”
In the context of an oppressed nation, the Pope’s speech (and his subsequent visits) have strengthened the Polish people that they are not alone in facing the Soviet Union occupation. The visit was able to inspire the Polish people that they have great spirituality and history of the past which amplifies them to achieve their freedom back.
Continuation of the visit, as we know, is people power that is realized a year later in the labor movement Solidarity led by Lech Walesa. It was not a short process; but just a decade after John Paul II’s visit in Poland, the Solidarity movement capable of overthrowing communism in Poland in 1989 without violence.
In many cities in Poland, notably in Krakow, seen a lot of monuments, pictures, or the buildings are made to commemorate or inspired by John Paul II. His name has been immortalized as one of the street names in Warsaw protocol (Aleja Jana Pawła II) and the name of international airport in Krakow since 2007 (Kraków Airport im. Jana Pawła II).
