Niccolo Mainoni

He knew that his next move could change the course of Polish history and really world history. Would he encourage Poles to rise up against communism and risk their lives? Or would he play it safe?

He knew that his next move could change the course of Polish history and really world history. Would he encourage Poles to rise up against communism and risk their lives? Or would he play it safe?

with police and spies for the KGB watching in the wings, John Paul didn't explicitly tell his country folk to fight, but he did tell them to keep living the life that God wanted for them, to keep going to church, keep supporting trade unions in defiance of Soviet policies.

with police and spies for the KGB watching in the wings, John Paul didn't explicitly tell his country folk to fight, but he did tell them to keep living the life that God wanted for them, to keep going to church, keep supporting trade unions in defiance of Soviet policies.

Then the Pope looked out into the crowd and paused. I assumed that there'd be mass arrests erupting at this point, but no. At the end of the homily, the Polish crowds began to sing.

Then the Pope looked out into the crowd and paused. I assumed that there'd be mass arrests erupting at this point, but no. At the end of the homily, the Polish crowds began to sing.

Then the crowds chanted, We want God. Some say the cheers went on for 14 minutes as Soviet police looked on helplessly.

Then the crowds chanted, We want God. Some say the cheers went on for 14 minutes as Soviet police looked on helplessly.

It's clear from the videos that emotions were running high throughout this demonstration of Catholic faith in the heart of Soviet Poland. But even with over a million devotees of Pope John Paul standing in the heart of Warsaw and thousands of cops at the ready, the day didn't end in violence, but a revolution had begun.

It's clear from the videos that emotions were running high throughout this demonstration of Catholic faith in the heart of Soviet Poland. But even with over a million devotees of Pope John Paul standing in the heart of Warsaw and thousands of cops at the ready, the day didn't end in violence, but a revolution had begun.

The Pope spent nine days in his mother country, nine triumphant days, according to a New York Times headline. And when he went back to Rome, the Pope was determined to keep the momentum up. He wanted to throw fuel on the anti-communist fire. He wanted to keep the resistance alive. And what the resistance needed now was money, lots of it.

The Pope spent nine days in his mother country, nine triumphant days, according to a New York Times headline. And when he went back to Rome, the Pope was determined to keep the momentum up. He wanted to throw fuel on the anti-communist fire. He wanted to keep the resistance alive. And what the resistance needed now was money, lots of it.

But the Pope couldn't just deliver hundreds of thousands of dollars to them. This was the Cold War. And if the money was traced back to the Vatican, hell, if it was detected by the Soviets at all, it could incite a violent backlash against his beloved Polish Catholics. Or worse, it could begin a full-on war.

But the Pope couldn't just deliver hundreds of thousands of dollars to them. This was the Cold War. And if the money was traced back to the Vatican, hell, if it was detected by the Soviets at all, it could incite a violent backlash against his beloved Polish Catholics. Or worse, it could begin a full-on war.

The Pope needed someone who could come up with the money and smuggle it across the world without being traced. Someone who was in a desperate enough position to do whatever the church asked him to do. And in the early 80s, there was one banker who fit the bill perfectly. From crooked media and campsite media, this is Shadow Kingdom, God's Banker.

The Pope needed someone who could come up with the money and smuggle it across the world without being traced. Someone who was in a desperate enough position to do whatever the church asked him to do. And in the early 80s, there was one banker who fit the bill perfectly. From crooked media and campsite media, this is Shadow Kingdom, God's Banker.

I'm Niccolo Mainoni, and this is episode four, The Priest and the Spy.

I'm Niccolo Mainoni, and this is episode four, The Priest and the Spy.

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Shadow Kingdom is brought to you by Lumen. Did you know that when your metabolism is working properly, you feel the benefits in literally every other aspect of your life? I found a valuable tool, one that gives me insights into how to create a healthy metabolism for my body, and it's called Lumen.