Word: papal
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From the very beginning, Pope John Paul II's return visit to Poland seemed a bold gamble. The government of General Wojciech Jaruzelski had made no secret of the fact that it viewed the papal pilgrimage as a way to rehabilitate Poland in the eyes of the world. But if the authorities thought they could manipulate the Polish-born Pontiff, they were mistaken. John Paul was determined to speak his mind and his heart, however uncomfortable he made his secular hosts. As the Pope moved across Poland, he showed by word and gesture that he understood the meaning...
Just as John Paul was preparing to board the Soviet-built Ilyushin jet that would take him back to Rome, President Reagan sent the Jaruzelski government a message on what the U.S. expected from the papal visit. Addressing a group of Polish Americans in Chicago, many of whom were waving Solidarity pennants, Reagan described the Pope's visit as "a ray of hope for the Polish people." The President hinted that if Poland's military rulers decided to follow the path of liberalization, the Western alliance would consider lifting economic sanctions. Said Reagan: "I urge the Polish authorities...
While union activists ponder their strategy, the regime has been picking off key members of the underground. Days before the papal visit, security police rounded up ten Solidarity workers in Cracow; most had been involved in running illegal presses. Some church leaders have even begun to question whether it would not be better to close the Solidarity chapter in Poland's history and move on. Says Father Piasecki: "The underground? Who are they? What is their program? How do they plan to carry it out? You cannot talk to a partner who is not visible...
...Pope arriving in his bulletproof car, hundreds of thousands of hands shot into the air in a V-for-victory sign. Red-and-white banners bearing the words SOLIDARITY and GDANSK sprouted from the stands and above the crowd outside the stadium amid hundreds of national flags and papal banners. A delegation from the Ursus Tractor Factory, once a hotbed of union activity, made its presence known with a sign reading URSUS WORKERS GREET THE POPE WITH SOLIDARITY. Another poster proclaimed: GOD, HONOR, HOMELAND, WE PRAY FOR THE PRISONERS. Security guards spread throughout the stadium made no attempt to pull...
Western governments are reluctant to link a religious pilgrimage to East-West diplomacy, but the papal visit will doubtless prove a pivotal event in shaping the alliance's attitudes toward Poland. Support for the economic sanctions that were imposed after the military crackdown has been eroding slowly but inexorably. The West German government argues that trade restrictions have not influenced Jaruzelski's policies and that, if anything, they could further diminish what little leverage the West had. In Italy, business with Poland goes on as usual. Even U.S. diplomats feel uneasy about the continuing deadlock and have quietly...