probably would have died were it not for the involvement of reagan and the pope, a holy alliance between the church and the reagan presidency to help undermine communism in poland. with the support of reagan and the pope, solidarity membership grows to more than 10 million. in july 1983, the movement overthrows the polish military and martial law is lifted. the pope is praised all over the world as a brave activist, capable of catalyzing real global change. it was a convergence of time and the commitment of will by the holy father, the commitment of the united states made this possible. just an extraordinary moment. it s because of actions he took in poland that really sets forward a chain of events that
radical social and political change. this is the beginnings of when we start to see priests and nuns marching in civil rights movement, nuns ditching their habits and wearing street clothes to teach. the world is changing, and the church has to change to keep up with what s going on in the world. the church needed renewal. it needed updating. this is the firstek men cal council in 92 years and only the second in 400 years. in 1962, officials from all over the world gather in st. peter s basilica for a series of meetings that will shake the foundation of catholicism. the event is called the second vatican council, or vatican ii. vatican ii is the biggest story in the catholic church of the last 200 years.
i think it was watched by millions of people, and hundreds of thousands went to st. peter s square. it was a rather extraordinary event. the feeling in the square was one of amazement and some confusion. who was this guy? wojtyla? the election of j.p. ii really just gave poland an electrifying jolt forward. under the thumb of the soviets, karol wojtyla had rarely been able to speak to large audiences. but as john paul ii, his inaugural papal address is broadcast all over the world. and on this stage, he gives a special message to his homeland. he said, be not afraid.
the church needed renewal, needed updating. this is the first ecumenical council in 100 years and the first in 400 years in 1962 officials from all over the world gather in st. peter s basilica for a series of meetings that will shake the foundations of catholicism. the event is called the second vatican council, or vatican 2. vatican ii is the biggest story in the catholic church of the last 200 years. it calls for a decentralization of church authority. it suggested that the church might be run in different ways. it produced liturgy in which people could worship in their own languages. it also very cautiously began to
all over the world? he had a great understanding of his power. john paul ii drives through the streets in what will come to be known as a pope mobile. an open vehicle allowing the pope to truly connect with the millions who flock to see him. it wasn t glassed in or anything like that. he would reach out to the crowds. he would pick up babies, mingle with people in a very different way than when he is standing behindan an altar. this left him open, but it also left him open in ways that may be dangerous. as the pope reaches more and more people and his message of defiance becomes louder, the target on his back becomes larger.