The conference will focus on the legacies of Polish Catholic Church leaders St. Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, who are described on the museum’s website as heroes who "rose up and stood resolute against the most destructive ideology in human history.”
The idea of the event, which is expected to bring together political, intellectual, and religious leaders, is to "remember these heroes and discuss the ongoing fight for liberty, human dignity, and religious freedom.”
The questions to be tackled in the debate include "what lessons can be learned from their fight for freedom."
Legacy of Pope John Paul II, role of Ronald Reagan
The conference also aims to explore the role of former US President Ronald Reagan in the fall of communism in Poland.
Polish-born Pope John Paul II had a close relationship with Reagan. They met many times, both in the Vatican and in the United States.
In June 1982, John Paul II received the American leader at the Vatican, just over a year after they both survived two separate assassination attempts.
According to the Apostolic Delegate to the United States at the time, Cardinal Laghi, Reagan told John Paul II: “Look how evil forces were put in our way and how Providence intervened.”
Ronald Reagan visits Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1982. Photo: PAP
Reagan was a staunch supporter of Poland’s Solidarity movement. After the communist regime’s crackdown on Solidarity on December 13, 1981, Reagan told Americans in his Christmas address that the fate of the Poles, “a proud and ancient nation hangs in the balance."
He declared January 30, 1982 a Day of Solidarity with Poland.
Primate of the Millennium
Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, meanwhile, often called the Primate of the Millennium, was at the helm of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland from 1948 until his death in May 1981, at the age of 79.
He was also known for his resistance to communism and for his efforts to protect the Catholic Church when Poland was under communist rule. Between 1953 and 1956 he was imprisoned by the communists.
The Victims of Communism Museum opened in Washington in June last year. It is dedicated to commemorating the more than 100 million victims of communism around the world and "to those pursuing freedom from totalitarian regimes."
The Polish National Foundation, a publicly-funded Polish organisation, is among the major sponsors of the project, with a contribution of USD 10 million.
(mk/gs)