The Pope's 1979 visit to Poland set in motion the events which led to the fall of Communism.Posted: Tuesday, October 26, 2010
STEUBENVILLE, OH—Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, will visit Franciscan University of Steubenville and present Nine Days That Changed the World, their new film about Pope John Paul II and his nine-day pilgrimage to Poland in 1979 that led to the fall of Communism.
The screening is free and open to the public. It will be held in Finnegan Fieldhouse on Monday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m.
The Gingriches will introduce the film and explain what led them to produce the 94-minute documentary that traces the historic visit of John Paul II to Poland the year after his election to the pontificate.
The ramifications of the pope's visit to his homeland were enormous, and the film convincingly shows that those few days in Poland set in motion a series of events that would play a pivotal role in overthrowing Communist rule in Europe.
Newt Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism in 2009 through his wife's witness and an encounter with Pope Benedict XVI, presents the story as an extraordinary example of "freedom through faith."
Callista Gingrich told the Catholic News Agency, “We really do try to echo [Pope John Paul II's] message that no state or government can come between you and God. And that our only freedom, our true freedom, can only be achieved and sustained through our faith."
Nine Days That Changed the World makes extensive use of never-before-seen footage of the pope’s visit. The Communist authorities were fearful of the impact of the pope’s visit to Poland, and so they did everything in their power to minimize its effect. Most of the television footage still extant features wide shots panning the audience as well as distant shots of the Pope, often with his voice drowned out by commentary.
The Gingriches discovered that the Polish bishops, not trusting the Communist authorities, gave video cameras to people in the crowd, telling them to record the event. The footage became part of the archives of Polish National Radio and has been used extensively in this documentary.
Two of the people interviewed for the film were on the plane carrying the Polish president, which crashed on April 10, 2010. One of the victims was Anna Walentynowicz, a Solidarity leader with Lech Walesa, whose testimony is one of the highlights of the film.
Nine Days That Changed the World is produced by Citizens United (an advocacy group active in promoting traditional American values) in association with Gingrich Productions and Peace River Company LLC. To schedule a screening, for more information, or to order the DVD, see the Web site: www.ninedaysthatchangedtheworld.com.
The free screening and guest appearance of the Gingriches is the latest presentation in Franciscan University of Steubenville's Distinguished Speaker Series, which features leaders recognized for exemplary service to the Church and society. The series is co-sponsored by the Franciscan University Advancement Office and Franciscan University Student Government.
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