Father Popieluszko's Martyrdom

Twenty-five years ago, the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the collapse of communism in Europe.  But while the end came seemingly quickly, the journey to November 9, 1989 began a decade earlier in communist Poland.  The rise of Poland’s Solidarity free trade movement challenged the Soviet Union and their proxies in Poland’s communist regime because the opposition stood in stark moral contrast to the oppressive government.

Poland’s quest for democracy and freedom was propelled in large part by the country’s religious faith.  In 1979, the Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II.  His unshakable commitment to justice and freedom shook communist tyranny to its core.  And the struggle for freedom in Poland was profoundly linked to the role of the Roman Catholic Church.