Real Catholic Blog

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, a recent convert to Catholicism, and one who freely talks about the inspiration he derived from Pope John Paul II before his conversion, has produced a new documentary on the late Pontiff’s return to his native Poland in June 1979, a seminal event that was the first sledge hammer blow at the base of communism. It’s called Nine Days That Changed The World and is due for release sometime before the end of the year.

It’s hard to recall those times, not so much because of the years, but given the context of today’s world. There is little tension between countries of opposing political philosophies, but rather between terrorism and civilization. But then, standing armies and strategic geo-political alliances were balanced and counter balanced constantly. Evil empires enslaved hundreds of millions of people and exiled God . . . or at least tried to.

One Soviet dictator famously ridiculed the power of the Papacy by snidely asking, “How many divisions does the Pope command?” But in October 1978, it began to change through the power of the Holy Spirit with the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as the Successor of Saint Peter.

Even the shortest examination of John Paul The Great’s life reveals that the Holy Spirit had something enormously important in store for him, from his days in Poland under Nazi, then communist rule, barely escaping with his life. The film’s promotional material explained his impact as Pope this way:

What transpired during these nine days that so moved a nation to begin to free itself of its Communist shackles? Why did millions of Poles, almost one third of the entire nation, come to see the Pope during his public appearances? What was the nature of the Communist system in Poland that made John Paul II’s visit a liberating moment?

Nine Days that Changed the World is a story of human liberation. It reveals how Pope John Paul II’s historic visit helped the Poles not only find their courage, but also reclaim their culture. This film presents the Pope’s message — that after the lies of Nazism and Communism, authentic human freedom is only possible through a true understanding of our humanity.

We look forward to hearing more about this film and its eventual release.

John Paul The Great celebrating Mass with millions during his hero’s welcome to his native Poland in 1979. That visit led to the eventual emancipation of Eastern Europe. A third of the entire Polish population saw him in those nine days.