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Article: Partners in freedom.(Polish labor leader Lech Walesa and Pope John Paul II, who is Polish)
- Article from:
- Faces: People, Places, and Cultures
- Article date:
- March 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, the flag-bearer representing Europe was Lech Walesa (vah-WEN-sah). In July 2002, the leader presiding over World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada, was Pope John Paul II. These native sons of Poland are admired the world over as champions of human rights.
The history these two men share began in October 1978, when Karol Wojtyla, cardinal of Krakow, was elected pope of the Catholic Church. Poles were jubilant! And when he visited his homeland the following June, he brought a message of hope. Challenging the moral authority of Poland's communist government, he strengthened the people's resolve to fight for freedom. ...