by Jarrett Murphy
April 8th, 2005 5:40 PM write to us
The public eulogies for Pope John Paul II may have ended, but another one lurks in the files of the Central Intelligence Agency. There, the pope's fight against Communism is depicted not as a crusade of uncompromising moral force, but as a careful, calculated political campaign.
Take the intelligence report on Poland of November 7, 1980, after the rise of the Solidarity movement, only a year or so after John Paul's historic first papal visit to his country. The author writes: "It is clear ... that the Church has decided to aid the regime at least indirectly by cautioning the trade workers and unions to pursue a moderate line." This theme is repeated a month later, when a secret State Department cable says the pope was "asking for calm and unity" in his homeland.
A special national intelligence estimate, or SNIE ("Gesundheit!") composed that December summed up the careful game the Vatican was playing: "The Church has significantly enhanced its effectiveness as a political force. But it has used its influence cautiously—usually behind the scenes—and has extended its support to the government in times of national crisis."
The SNIE adds that the pope had called for calm to head off a Soviet invasion and that he offered "support to both solidarity and regime but has avoided committing itself to an alliance with either." It might seem odd that the absolutist pope was playing both sides. But then again, the SNIE notes, "the regime can retain the support of the Church only so long as it eschews the use of force."
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0515,webmurphy,62890,6.htmlCIA double-speak for "sure-we-don't-have-any-serious-stuff-about=Peter-Gelli"?????????