It had long been rumoured that the Polish-born pontiff, who died five years ago, engaged in acts of penance and self-flagellation. The practice has now been confirmed by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Vatican “postulator” who has the task of reviewing John Paul’s life and preparing a case for him being made a saint.
In the new book, “Why he’s a saint“, Msgr Oder writes: “As members of the Pope’s close entourage heard with their own ears, Karol Wojtyla used to flagellate himself.
“In his wardrobe, in between all his robes, a special trouser belt hung on a coat hanger, which he used as a whip. He always took it with him when he went to Castel Gandolfo (the traditional summer residence of the popes outside Rome).”
In November a Polish nun claimed that when she stayed at Castel Gandolfo she often heard John Paul whipping himself.
“Several times he would put himself through bodily penance,” said Tobiana Sobodka, a nun from the Sacred Heart of Jesus order.
“We would hear it – we were in the next room at Castel Gandolfo. You could hear the sound of the blows when he flagellated himself…”
Har!
#32, Greg Allen
Historians will always disagree to some extent. RBG’s link above suggested the Catholic Church and Leck Walesa were responsible. Any involvement was very insignificant.
While Poland was largely Catholic, Solidarity wasn’t. The USSR had small Orthodox and Muslim populations. East Germany had significant Lutheran populations. Organized religions were largely apolitical as they feared the government cracking down if there was any dissent. In other words, the organized religions preferred to preach than to lead the revolutions.
The Berlin Wall fell because of overwhelming pressure from within. As controlling as the East German government was, it couldn’t ignore the fact that their country was collapsing from within. When the East Germans were demanding food, the EG Government decided to open the border to allow West German goods in, hoping to placate the people. THAT is what made the wall fall.
Countries that fought the reforms in 1989 could only do so with force. Romania saw hundreds of demonstrators shot and thousands jailed. Albania jailed many. Bulgaria arrested protesters. All these countries capitulated within a couple of years to democracy.
China was the only communist country where the revolution was brutally suppressed and reforms never came.
Religious people will always try to point out there contributions. Right wing nuts will claim it was all Reagan’s policies. The truth is more of hungry people wanting food and the governments couldn’t give it to them. Hunger is a very strong motivator.
Iran and much of Central America went through very similar revolutions 10 years earlier. Those revolutions were to throw off the yoke of American supported dictatorships.
Mind you, mine is not the complete story as there was much more that happened. The fall of the Berlin Wall though is just one incident in a much larger movement that swept the world.
#35, Cherman,
Isn’t there some wreck tum you should be getting to know on a lip to lip basis?