How did a nine-day pastoral visit by a Polish Pope spark the collapse of European communism and proclaim the true dignity of the human person? On The Son Rise Morning Show, host Matt Swaim welcomes Courtney Brown, Executive Director of the Ruah Woods Institute, to celebrate the Feast of Pope St. John Paul II.

Drawing on George Weigel's biography Witness to Hope, Brown explores John Paul II’s historic 1979 return to his communist-ruled homeland. She highlights how his visit—from his foundational homily at Victory Square in Warsaw to his Pentecost vigil invocation—reclaimed the Polish people's identity and human dignity in Jesus Christ rather than through political diplomacy. Brown reflects on the famous crowd response, "We Want God," showing how John Paul II’s teachings continue to offer a profound response to modern secular humanism through the Theology of the Body. Stream now to listen!