Sacred Weapons, Profane Enemies

The 2014 canonization of John Paul II and the quarter-century anniversary of the fall of Polish Communism were the main motivations in writing this book, which is richly illustrated with nearly 100 pictures and very reasonably priced! The book tells the story of how Saint John Paul II politically deployed sacred weapons and profane enemies in his war on communism. The effects of his deployment – chiefly during his three pilgrimages to communist Poland – were to evoke and refashion nationalist and religious cultural memories shaped over centuries and thereby influence the prevailing political culture of opposition. In his doing so, the Polish Pope inspired the opposition to peacefully and successfully challenge a communist regime that had at its disposal a full panoply of repressive forces.