NEW YORK – During Pope John Paul II’s visit to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1984, at the start of a trip to the Far East, President Ronald Reagan emphasized the Pope’s commitment to “preserving the rights and dignity of the individual and to peace among peoples” and committed the United States to that cause.
“In a world of violence, Your Holiness, you were a servant of peace and love. Your words, your prayers, your example made you a source of comfort, inspiration and hope to those suffering from oppression or the violence of war,” Reagan said. “For this historic service, the American people are grateful to you, and we wish you every encouragement on your path to peace and understanding in the world.”
Pope John Paul II, in his own remarks, acknowledged that Reagan had just returned from what Reagan called his own “peace mission” in China, thanked the president for his warm welcome and reaffirmed their friendship. Otherwise, he did not speak much about Reagan, but echoed his sentiments about the importance of justice and peace, saying that Fairbanks’ diversity “provides the context in which every person, every family, every ethnic group is called to live in harmony and concord.”
The harmony in the remarks reflects the relationship between the two, a relationship that began with a meeting in 1982 and proved significant, as it restored diplomatic relations between the United States and the Vatican in 1984 and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
On Saturday, August 31, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute will open a new exhibit titled “The Pope and the President” at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. It will “tell the story of the collaboration, friendship and legacy of President Reagan and Pope John Paul II and feature numerous exhibits from throughout their relationship,” according to the institute.
The exhibition consists of eight panels, each dedicated to a different chapter in the life of Pope Saint John Paul II. The panels begin with his childhood, show when he became a priest and how he first met Reagan. The exhibition runs through October 27.
Other objects in the exhibition are:
- Documents before the four meetings between Reagan and Pope John Paul II.
- Clothes Nancy Reagan wore during her meeting with Pope John Paul II
- Souvenirs from the 1984 meeting in Alaska, including medals from Pope John Paul II.
- Several gifts from Pope John Paul II to the Reagans
- A pair of Louis XIV-style armchairs used by President Reagan and Pope John Paul II
- A certificate with which Pope John Paul II gave his papal blessing to Reagan and his family
- A Bible given to Reagan by Pope John Paul II
- A collage of original signatures of Reagan and Pope John Paul II.
- The 1998 Cadillac DeVille Phaeton “Popemobile”, built especially for Pope John Paul II
- A ciborium used during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Los Angeles, California in 1987
Pope John Paul II and Reagan met in person five times. Their first meeting was on June 7, 1982, at the Vatican. The second time they met was on May 2, 1984, in Fairbanks, Alaska, and a third time on September 10, 1987, in Miami. Their last meeting was on June 6, 1987, again at the Vatican. As with most, if not all, of the Pope’s meetings with world leaders, the meetings were closed to the public and not recorded, so the details of their conversations are relatively unknown.
However, their shared desire for peace and an end to communism is well documented.
Daniel Philpott, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, said core In an email, he wrote that the friendship between Pope John Paul II and Reagan was “the most consequential between a sitting U.S. president and a pope.”
“It was a soul mate between two people who shared the same moral vision. Unlike those around them, both on the right and the left, they both believed that communism in the Eastern bloc could be ended – not through conflict resolution methods, not through war, but through peaceful transformation,” Philpott said. “Together they dueled the dictators of the Eastern bloc through the power of human dignity, human rights and the spirit of God, but also remained open to negotiation and insisted on peaceful change. These friends admired and respected each other greatly.”
On the evening before the exhibition opens, the Institute will unveil a bronze bust of Pope Saint John Paul II, donated by the Friends of John Paul II Foundation and created by American sculptor Gordon Kray. After the exhibition closes, the bust will remain on permanent display at the Reagan Library, according to the Institute.
Melissa Griller, the institute’s marketing director, said the exhibition “highlights the significant intersections of their paths that have had a profound impact on modern history.”
“The diplomacy between President Reagan and Saint Pope John Paul II contributed to the downfall of communism and the freedom the modern world enjoys today, and it is important that we remember and celebrate its lasting impact,” Griller said in an Aug. 27 statement.
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