Posted on 07/14/2005 11:14:52 AM PDT by ELS
Faith & Values Media Premieres "A Man Who Became Pope" On Hallmark Channel
Before he became Pope, Karol Wojtyla’s life was a vigorous search for love and freedom. His transformational journey led him to the theatre, to profound experiences of love, friendship and loyalty, to scholarship, to the Catholic priesthood. And finally, it led him to Rome and the Chair of St. Peter. Karol’s heroic, true story, based on Gian Franco Svidercoschi’s book, Stories of Karol: The Unknown Life of John Paul II , comes to television in "A Man Who Became Pope," a four-hour movie event presented by Faith & Values Media, premiering on Hallmark Channel Monday, August 15 (8/7 c).
(I-Newswire) - Filmed on location in Krakow, Poland and Vatican City, the film features an international cast including Piotr Adamczyk as Karol Wojtyla; Malgorzata Bela as Hania, the woman Karol cared deeply for; Matt Craven as Nazi General Hans Frank; and Raul Bova as Father Tomasz Zaleski, Karol’s close childhood friend and a martyr to the Nazis. Giacomo Battiato directed the film and it was produced by Pietro Valsecchi.
"A Man Who Became Pope" was warmly received when screened at the Vatican’s Paul VI hall on May 19. "The film presents scenes and episodes that, in their severity, awaken in the viewers an instinctive ‘turning away’ in horror and stimulates them to consider the abyss of iniquity that can be hidden in the human soul," said Pope Benedict XVI. "At the same time, calling to the fore such aberrations revives in every right-minded person the duty to do what he or she can so that such inhuman barbarism never happens again…I…express living gratitude to those who wanted to offer me…the opportunity to view this moving film."
Vatican press spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Pope John Paul II had seen the film in its entirety in a private viewing before his death and was "very impressed" with the portrayal and "appreciated the many scenes" from that period in his life ( See attachments ).
"Before he became pontiff, successor of St. Peter, before he became a historic and spiritual figure, he was simply Karol Wojtyla," said Edward J. Murray, president and chief executive officer of Faith & Values Media. "`A Man Who Became Pope’ movingly and beautifully conveys events from his early years which influenced him to become a tireless voice of goodness and an outspoken champion of peace."
Karol Wojtyla saw a world of pain and heartache during most of his life. The young Polish artist and athlete became a priest who fought communism, Nazism, atheism and materialism with stingingly courageous sermons. As a young bishop, he ratcheted up the drumbeat for Polish liberty in his fiery pronouncements to the masses, and, eventually, to the entire Polish nation -- a nation that rose up to overthrow more than four decades of Nazi and Communist rule.
On October 16, 1978, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla succeeded the brief Pontificate of Pope John Paul I, who died less than two months after his own installation. This epic film event depicts Karol Wojtyla’s remarkable life to be one forged both by grace and history into a tower of moral strength. Whether as student or Bishop or Pope, he consoled those who were suffering and gave courage to those who were weak. He was a man as much at home on the world stage as on his knees in his local parish; a man who was the 263rd successor to Saint Peter who lived out his title as the "servant of the Servants of God". "He rose to become a Pope of revolutionary worldwide change," continued Mr. Murray. "‘A Man Who Became Pope’ is an inspirational movie that humanizes in the best sense of that word the legendary Holy Father."
Pope John Paul II served more than 26 years until his death this year. His papacy is the third longest period of service since St. Peter and Pope B. Pius IX.
About Faith & Values Media
Faith & Values Media is the nation’s largest coalition of Jewish and Christian faith groups dedicated to media production, distribution and promotion. Its member association is made up of denominations, organizations and individuals, who encompass most of the recognized Jewish and Christian faith groups in the United States. Together, these faith groups have more than 200,000 congregations with 120 million congregants. (A list of member faith groups and organization is available upon request.) The award-winning programming services of Faith & Values Media are available on Hallmark Channel and on www.faithstreams.com. Faith & Values Media is a service of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition, Inc., established in 1987.
Public Relations Manager
212-485-8533
ChristineLuzano@faithandvaluesmedia.org
I do. Channel 62 through Time Warner Cable. I watch it frequently when I'm sick of the news, the Crocodile Hunter, and can't abide another re-run of Law and Order.
evening bump
I guess I posted this thread a little too early. Now that the movie will air in less than two weeks, I am sending out a reminder ping.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.