Niccolo Mainoni

Field recording by Justin Trieger, Jonathan Zenti, Pete Shev, Jonathan Gruber, and Joanna Broder. Fact-checking by Zoe Sullivan. Our executive producers are me, Niccolo Mainoni, along with Sarah Geismar, Katie Long, and Allison Falsetta from Crooked Media. Josh Dean, Adam Hoff, Matt Scher, and Vanessa Gregoriadis are the executive producers at Campsite Media. One last thing before we go.

Field recording by Justin Trieger, Jonathan Zenti, Pete Shev, Jonathan Gruber, and Joanna Broder. Fact-checking by Zoe Sullivan. Our executive producers are me, Niccolo Mainoni, along with Sarah Geismar, Katie Long, and Allison Falsetta from Crooked Media. Josh Dean, Adam Hoff, Matt Scher, and Vanessa Gregoriadis are the executive producers at Campsite Media. One last thing before we go.

You can also listen to Shadow Kingdom in Italian. Look up Il Banchiere di Dio wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also listen to Shadow Kingdom in Italian. Look up Il Banchiere di Dio wherever you get your podcasts.

Friends of the Pod subscribers can listen to the full season of Shadow Kingdom right now. Join Friends of the Pod at crooked.com slash friends or on Apple Podcasts.

Friends of the Pod subscribers can listen to the full season of Shadow Kingdom right now. Join Friends of the Pod at crooked.com slash friends or on Apple Podcasts.

— It was a hot day in 1979 when Pope John Paul II's plane touched down on the Polish runway. Half the world was monitoring the plane's itinerary on television.

— It was a hot day in 1979 when Pope John Paul II's plane touched down on the Polish runway. Half the world was monitoring the plane's itinerary on television.

He'd been pope only eight months, the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years. And as a proud Polish citizen, he was returning to his homeland for the first time since taking on the papacy. But it wasn't just a homecoming. It was an incredibly dangerous political act.

He'd been pope only eight months, the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years. And as a proud Polish citizen, he was returning to his homeland for the first time since taking on the papacy. But it wasn't just a homecoming. It was an incredibly dangerous political act.

Because Poland at that time was 90% Catholic, and Poles were desperate to see their beloved son come home. But Poland was also communist, part of the Soviet bloc. And communist leaders saw religion, and the Catholic Church in particular, as a threat, a rival. They'd been trying to banish Christianity in Poland for decades.

Because Poland at that time was 90% Catholic, and Poles were desperate to see their beloved son come home. But Poland was also communist, part of the Soviet bloc. And communist leaders saw religion, and the Catholic Church in particular, as a threat, a rival. They'd been trying to banish Christianity in Poland for decades.

In the 70s, protests and strikes were breaking out in multiple cities across the country. And now, here were over a million pro-Christian and likely anti-communist citizens all together lining the streets of Warsaw, amped up for their pope.

In the 70s, protests and strikes were breaking out in multiple cities across the country. And now, here were over a million pro-Christian and likely anti-communist citizens all together lining the streets of Warsaw, amped up for their pope.

Though Polish officials didn't want to allow the Pope's visit, denying his entry meant that they'd face a possible riot. No other Pope had managed to slip behind the Iron Curtain before, but this Pope, the Polish Pope, he made his way in, which was unbelievable. Christ had breached the Iron Curtain. The West had breached the Curtain.

Though Polish officials didn't want to allow the Pope's visit, denying his entry meant that they'd face a possible riot. No other Pope had managed to slip behind the Iron Curtain before, but this Pope, the Polish Pope, he made his way in, which was unbelievable. Christ had breached the Iron Curtain. The West had breached the Curtain.

Every Catholic who grew up during the Cold War probably knows about this trip. It was like a grudge match. The Pope facing off against the communists. At stake was the fate of Poland.

Every Catholic who grew up during the Cold War probably knows about this trip. It was like a grudge match. The Pope facing off against the communists. At stake was the fate of Poland.

I've heard this story from my grandmother, who watched the scene from her television in Rome, but I never actually saw the images until now. In front of millions, and I mean millions, of Poles, Pope John Paul II strode confidently on a platform that was half altar, half Monsters of Rock stage, He was calm, like he knew exactly what he was doing.

I've heard this story from my grandmother, who watched the scene from her television in Rome, but I never actually saw the images until now. In front of millions, and I mean millions, of Poles, Pope John Paul II strode confidently on a platform that was half altar, half Monsters of Rock stage, He was calm, like he knew exactly what he was doing.