1978 A Polish Miracle, Bishop Karol Wojtyła is Elected Pope
What became known as “The Polish Miracle” unfolded in 1978 with the election of Polish Cardinal Wojtyła as pope.
In October 1978, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the Archbishop of Kraków, was elected pope and took the name John Paul II. On Sunday, October 22, 1978, Pope John Paul II spoke to a crowd in St. Peter’s Square. “Do not be afraid!” he said. “Open wide the doors for Christ. To His saving power open the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid! Christ knows ‘what is in man.’ He alone knows.” Although the pope was speaking to the world, the Polish people knew he was speaking to them.
It was a remarkable event, as he was the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian to lead the church since 1522. A determined and vocal anticommunist, John Paul II’s speech set the stage for his triumphant first return to his homeland in 1979 and is considered one of the crucial events that doomed Communist rule in Poland.
