PROSPECT HEIGHTS – During Pope John Paul II’s visit to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1984, at the start of a tour of the Far East, President Ronald Reagan emphasized the Pope’s work to ensure “the rights and dignity of the individual and for peace among peoples” and committed the United States to that cause.
“In a violent world, you, Your Holiness, have been a servant of peace and love. Your words, your prayers, your example have 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 confirmed 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 called “The Pope and the President” at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, which, according to the institute, “tells the story of the collaboration, friendship and legacy of President Reagan and Pope John Paul II and features numerous exhibits from their relationship.”
The exhibition, which runs through October 27, will include eight panels, each dedicated to a different chapter in the life of Pope St. John Paul II, beginning with his childhood. The panels will also examine his entry into the priesthood and his first meeting with Reagan.
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 four times. Their first meeting was on June 7, 1982, at the Vatican. They met a second time 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.
Like most, if not all, meetings between the popes and world leaders, they were held behind closed doors and unrecorded, 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, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, told The Tablet in an email 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 the people around them … 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. According to the Institute, the bust will remain on permanent display at the Reagan Library after the exhibition closes.
Melissa Griller, the institute’s marketing director, said in an Aug. 27 statement that 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 added.
