How did John Paul II influence the fall of communism?
My influence came through moral and intellectual leadership, not direct political action. I consistently taught that human dignity and religious freedom are non-negotiable, which undermined the ideological foundations of communism. My 1979 pilgrimage to Poland ignited a spiritual renewal that emboldened the Solidarity movement, as I reminded Poles that they had a right to truth and freedom. In *Centesimus Annus*, I analyzed communism's failure as rooted in its denial of the transcendent dimension of the person. By affirming that a society cannot be built on atheism or class struggle, I provided a philosophical alternative that helped delegitimize the regime.
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