CV NEWS FEED // The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has announced an exhibit to St. John Paul II at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California.
According to the foundation’s website, the exhibit, “The Pope and The President: Bringing Hope to the World,” will be up from August 31 to October 27, with the support of the Knights of Columbus, the Polish Slavic Federal Credit Union, and Ned & Carol Spieker.
The announcement quoted Ronald Reagan’s description of St. John Paul II, whom he called “a man of peace and goodness– an inspiration to the world.”
The leaders were both united in their stance against Communism. As the website pointed out, they also had similar backgrounds. Not only had both been actors earlier in life, but they each also survived assassination attempts and forgave the people who attempted to kill them.
The President and the Pope “both came from a unique perspective unlike their colleagues. They were optimistic that peace was possible. Their similar outlooks made them suitable allies and a force of hope in the world,” the website continued.
The exhibit will cover various stages of St. John Paul II’s life, “from his childhood to joining the priesthood to his first meeting with President Reagan that set the stage for their long-lasting friendship and partnership.” The exhibit “tells the story of President Reagan and Saint John Paul II’s enduring collaboration, enabling visitors to experience their lives and impact in parallel.”
It will display a new bronze bust of St. John Paul II, that Gordon Kray sculpted and Friends of John Paul II donated. It will also feature the documents that came before the meetings between the men, the dress Nancy Reagan wore when she first met the Pope, souvenirs from the 1984 meeting in Alaska, and gifts the Pope gave the Reagans, including an ivory Madonna and blessed medallions.
