St. John Paul II (1986-1990 A.D.)

More missionary and pastoral visits

John Paul II continued in his missions to the peoples of the world outside of the Vatican city. From 1986-1990 A.D., the following were the places he visited - always witnessing Christ, the Prince of Peace, and the Good Shepherd, to his universal flock:

1986

• Jan 31 - Feb 10: India
• Jul 01 - Jul 08: Colombia and Santa Lucia
• Oct 04 - Oct 07: France (East-Central region)
• Nov 18: Bangladesh, Singapore, Fiji

1987

• Mar 31 - Apr 13: Federal Republic of Germany
• Jun 08 - Jun 14: Poland
• Sep 10 - Sep 21: U.S.A. and Canada

1988

• Mar 07 - May 19: Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru
• Jun 23 - Jun 27: Austria
• Sep 10 - Sep 20: Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland
• Oct 08 - Oct 11: Strasbourg, Metz and Nancy, France

1989

• Apr 28 - May 06: Madagascar, La Reunion, Zambia, and Malawi
• Jun 01 - Jun 10: Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden
• Aug 19 - Aug 21: Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and Asturias
• Oct 06 - Oct 10: Seoul, Korea, Indonesia, and Mauritius

1990

• Jan 25 - Feb 01: Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad
• Apr 21: Czechoslovakia
• May 06 - May 14: Mexico and Curacao
• May 25: Malta
• Sep 01 - Sep 10: Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Ivory Coast

The situation in Poland in 1986

By 1986 A.D., the Solidarity leaders were released from jail. Solidarity had formed a coalition with Poland's bishops and its vast network of parishes. This sustained the people's morale and hope. This was the state of affairs in Poland when Pope John Paul II was able to land again in his native country in June 1987 A.D. The Pope addressed a congregation of more than a million faithful near Gdansk, the scene of the shipyard strike that launched the Solidarity movement back in 1980 A.D. He ended his message by saying: "Solidarity means one another, and if there is a burden, then the burden is carried together, in community. Thus: Never one against another. Never one group against another, and never a burden carried by one alone, without the help of others."

The fall of communism

Following the failure of Jaruzelski's national referendum for economic reforms, there were again waves of strikes. But the Soviet Union had a new leader by this time: Gorbachev. Gorbachev had no intention of supporting the falling regimes of Eastern Europe. He focused on fixing the economic and political system of the Soviet Empire. Poland was then left to its fate. After many months, Solidarity finally became legal. Elections took place on June 4, 1989 A.D. All but one of the hundred seats in the Polish Senate, and all the free seats in the parliament, were won by the Solidarity-backed Citizen's Committee. Official diplomatic relations were restored between the Holy See and Poland. The world was then to witness something extraordinary in modern history: the implosion of the Soviet system. Many say that the bloodless collapse of communism had been initiated by the Polish Pope.

A strict conservative

In terms of adhering to the official theology of the Church, the Holy Father published in 1990 A.D., a document titled Ex Corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church). He was seeking to control the academics in Catholic universities and colleges. The document advocated tighter control on "orthodox" teaching and the curbing of pluralist freedoms. As regards this, his attention was then brought to the Catholic academes of the United States. As the Soviet Empire eventually faltered and collapsed, the freedoms that were intrinsic to the culture of the United States, were, in his view, tending towards error, and thus, became an increasing focus of his attention for correction.

John Paul II gathers the world to pray for peace

Despite the problems he had to resolve in his native Poland, and the fall of communism, and the responsibility to keep theology on the right track, Pope John Paul was successful in his universal role as peacemaker. On October 27, 1986 A.D., he attended the First World Day of Prayer for Peace which he convened in Assisi with some 60 representatives of the main Christian and non-Christian religions. The World Day of Prayer was a daylong affair in the piazza at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Prominent among the religious leaders present were: the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, leader of the Church of England; the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader from Tibet (exiled from his country since 1959 A.D.); Mother Teresa (now Blessed Teresa of Calcutta), the Albanian nun who ministers to the poor in the slums of Calcutta, India; Elio Toaff, chief rabbi of Rome; and many others.

The Pope's message was: "Peace, where it exists, is always extremely fragile...we must endeavour to provide it with secure foundations...we are here because we are sure that, above and beyond all such measures, we need prayer...if the world is finally to become a place of true and permanent peace."

His 1986-1990 A.D. pontificate

The Holy Father ends his last year of his 1986-1990 A.D. pontificate with the following highlights:

• five pastoral visits to countries outside of Italy
• the exchange of representatives between the Holy See and the Soviet Union (March 15, 1990 A.D.)
• the official visit of President Mario Soares of Portugal (April 27, 1990 A.D.)
• the Eighth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Formation of Priests (Sept 30 - Oct 28, 1990 A.D.)
• and in his "Urbi et Orbi" message, the Pope appeals for peace in the Persian Gulf (December 25)

Memorial of Saints (October 10)

St. Nicholas of Tolentine joined the Augustinians and was ordained ca. 1270 A.D. He became master of novices, and in 1274 A.D., was sent to Tolentino to preach, convert sinners and minister to the needy. He worked at Tolentino for 30 years (died ca. 1305 A.D.).

St. Ghislain became a hermit and founded a monastery which now came to be known as Saint-Ghislain. He encouraged St. Waldetrudis and St. Aldegundis to found convents (died ca. 680 A.D.).

Sts. Gereon and Companions were martyred, because they refused to sacrifice to the gods, as ordered by the Emperor. St. Gereon was martyred together with Sts. Maurice, Exuperius, Candidus, Victor, Ursus, Alexander, Octavius, Innocent, Adventor, and Solutar (died ca. 287 A.D.).

Sts. Eulampius and his sister Eulampia lived during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Galerius. When Eulampius refused to sacrifice to the gods, he was arrested and tortured on a rack. When his sister Eulampia ran to him, she too was arrested and tortured. Together with 200 others, the two were beheaded (died ca. 310 A.D.).

St. Maharsapor suffered during the persecution of Christians in Persia. Maharsapor was imprisoned for three years and was thrown into a cistern to die of starvation (died ca. 421 A.D.).

St. Cerbonius immigrated to Italy from Africa with St. Regulus. He succeeded St. Regulus as bishop of Piombino. When the Ostrogoths invaded his diocese, he was thrown to the wild beasts by the king of the Ostrogoths. Miraculously saved from the beasts, St. Cerbonius fled and spent the last 30 years of his life in exile (died ca. 575 A.D.).

St. Paulinus of York went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. When he returned, while staying in Capua, Italy, he was made bishop by the people. He then governed this diocese for 18 years before he was forced to leave due to the invading Saracens (died ca. 843 A.D.).

Sts. Daniel and Companions were Franciscan friars who were martyred as a result of their mission to evangelize the Mohammedans in Africa. When Daniel and his six companions refused to renounce their faith, they were arrested near Morocco and beheaded (died ca. 1227 A.D.).

Memorial of Saints (October 9)

St. Denis, a patron saint of France, was a missionary bishop together with six others. In 250 A.D., he and his companions were sent by Pope Fabian as missionaries to France. After settling in France, St. Denis was appointed as first bishop of Paris. Denis then carried out his duties with the help of St. Rusticus (a priest) and St. Eleutherius (a deacon). The three were very effective in converting the pagans. The priests of the pagans went to the governor to have the three arrested. After the three were arrested and imprisoned, they were beheaded and their bodies were thrown into the River Seine. Converts of the three clergymen recovered their bodies and buried them in a place that would be the foundation for the Abbey of St. Denis (died ca. 258 A.D.).

St. John Leonardi was the founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God. This congregation of diocesan priests lived with vows, and worked for the reform of clerical life. Leonardi's congregation was approved in 1583 A.D. by Pope Gregory XIII. In 1595 A.D., Pope Clement VIII formally recognized Leonardi's community as a religious congregation. The pope also commissioned John Leonardi to reform the monks of Vallombrosa and Monte Vergine. Leonardi was also instrumental for the founding of what would be now known as the College for the Propagation of the Faith, or Urbanium (named after Pope Urban VIII) (died ca. 1609 A.D.).

Sts. Rusticus and Eleutherius (see biographical sketch on St. Denis above)

St. Demetrius of Alexandria became bishop in ca. 188 A.D. He worked as a bishop for 43 years and also made the catechetical school of Alexandria well-known. He appointed Origen director of this school in 203 A.D. But because Origen preached as a layman (not allowed at that time), Demetrius condemned Origen. Fifteen years later, St. Demetrius had to expel Origen from his diocese for being ordained without his permission (died ca. 231 A.D.).

St. Publia was a Christian widow from Antioch, Syria. She established a community of women in Antioch. When Julian the Apostate was on his way to fight the Persians in ca. 362 A.D., as he passed Publia's community, Julian felt personally offended when they sang Psalm 115. He planned to have the community executed upon his return from the battle with the Persians. His plan however did not materialize as he perished in the battle with the Persians (died ca. 370 A.D.).

Sts. Andronicus and Athanasia were a couple who migrated to Antioch with their two children. After their children died, the couple decided to renounce the world, go to Egypt, and join the solitaries at Skete. There they lived in separate cells in the monastic settlement of Tabenna. After being separated from one another, they found themselves together in a monastery called Eighteen near Alexandria. However, though they were together, Andronicus did not recognize Athanasia. Only upon the death of Athanasia was Andronicus able to recognize Athanasia (died ca. 5th century).

St. Savin was born at Barcelona, Spain and was raised by his widowed mother. When a nephew he was tutoring decided to become a monk at Ligugé, he too decided to become one and followed his nephew there. After some time at Ligugé, he left to become a hermit near the monastery at Palatium Aemilianum in the Pyrenees. He spent his last years in his hermit's cell. A village is now named after him: Saint-Savin de Torbes (died ca. 5th century A.D.).

St. Ghislain was a Frank who became a hermit in Hainault. He then became abbot of a monastery he founded near Mons, which was also named after him. He then encouraged St. Waldetrudis and St. Aldegundis to found convents near Mons - at Castrilocus and Mauberge, respectively. The monastery St. Ghislain founded was formerly called the Cell but is now named Saint-Ghislain. It was built in what is now called Bergen, a city of southwestern Belgium, 35 miles southwest of Brussels (died ca. 680 A.D.).

St. Gunther was a relative of St. Henry. He first led a worldly life but when he reached the age of 50, he met St. Gothard. Gothard convinced him to leave his sinful life behind and to join the Hersfeld Monastery which Gothard was reforming. He followed the counsel of Gothard, made a pilgrimage to Rome, endowed the Hersfeld Monastery with most of his wealth, and entered the monastery where Gothard was abbot (at Niederaltaich, Bavaria). In 1008 A.D., he decided to become a hermit in Lalling Forest. He attracted followers until they were inspired to build a monastery (died ca. 1045 A.D.).

St. Louis Bertrand joined the Dominicans when he was eighteen. Ordained in 1547 A.D., he served as a master of novices, became an outstanding preacher. In 1557 A.D., he encouraged St. Teresa of Avila in her work to reform the Carmelites. In 1562 A.D., he went to Colombia as a missionary. He went throughout the Caribbean area and converted many to the Faith. After his years in mission, he returned to Spain where he spent his last years as prior of several Dominican houses (died ca. 1581 A.D.).