The last conversation between Giovanni Spadolini and John Paul II

"I want to go to Moscow, but the conditions are not yet ripe." John Paul II's words, spoken on March 4, 1994, during a private meeting with Giovanni Spadolini, reveal not only the pontiff's personal desire—a journey no pope has ever undertaken—but also his awareness of a still-open fracture in Europe's spiritual heart. "Yeltsin would be willing, and so would the Russian government, but the Orthodox Church continues to put up great obstacles," he explained bitterly. Those words reflected a profound geopolitical vision: Russia as an integral part of Europe's destiny, but threatened by an Asian drift if ecumenical dialogue failed to bridge the divide.

This is one of the most significant passages of the conversation between Spadolini and the Polish Pope, now published in its entirety for the first time in the journal "Nuova Antologia" (Polistampa Editions), edited by Cosimo Ceccuti. This intense and surprising dialogue, until now preserved in the archives of the Spadolini Nuova Antologia Foundation in Florence, was edited by Gabriele Paolini and made public on the occasion of the centenary of the Florentine statesman's birth and the twentieth anniversary of Karol Wojtyła's death.

Five months before his death, Spadolini crossed the threshold of the Vatican for the last time. The meeting—which lasted over 40 minutes, far longer than the 25 minutes required by protocol—was not simply a formal exchange between a former Prime Minister and then President of the Senate and a pontiff, but a wide-ranging conversation between two intellectuals who viewed history as an inextricable intertwining of faith, politics, culture, and moral responsibility.

The March 4, 1994, meeting began as a tribute. Spadolini brought the Pope a precious edition of "The Men Who Made Italy," a symbol of his gratitude for John Paul II's words defending national unity against the winds of secession then blowing strongly, driven by the advance of Umberto Bossi's League. But he also brought a second gift: an anthology of 19th-century writings on Poland from the magazine "Antologia di Vieusseux," published between 1824 and 1831 and censored for their support of Polish independence movements. Spadolini recounted the Pope's emotional shock when he read him a quote from Tommaseo: "Everything concerning unfortunate Poland strikes me as something venerable and sacred." The Pontiff approved: "That's correct." It was Poland understood not as a mere nation, but as a spiritual soul. The identification between Catholicism and homeland, between faith and resistance, emerges in every word of the Pope.

In the conversation, John Paul II didn't ask anything about the activities of the Italian Parliament or the upcoming elections of March 27-28, which would have seen the victory of Silvio Berlusconi's newly formed Forza Italia party. The focus was elsewhere: China, India, Russia, the Balkans, Africa.

Spadolini reports in surprising detail the Pope's reflections on the situation of the Church in China, the issue of the appointment of bishops, the ambiguous role of the so-called "patriotic Church," but also the unexpected glimmer of openness between Beijing and Rome. The Pope listens, questions, and informs. He shows interest in the bishop of Shanghai and the signs of détente. He speaks of ongoing confidential meetings.

The Balkans are also discussed. The Pope lucidly comments on the war in Bosnia, the confederation between Croats and Bosniaks, the intransigence of the Serbs, and Russia's balancing act. Spadolini praises him for his courage in denouncing the genocide of Muslims, and the pontiff acknowledges: "I know how much I've had an impact in the Muslim world."

In India, where Spadolini had just received an honorary degree, the conversation shifted to Gandhi, Giuseppe Mazzini's religious secularism, the British legacy, the country's social fragility, and its democratic stability. "Gandhi was truly the creator of modern India," the Pope said, acknowledging the depth of a universal message.

The conversation between Giovanni Spadolini and John Paul II is not only the account of a high-profile meeting, but also a rare testimony to trust and human connection. The voices are calm, the words thoughtful, the style is that of two scholars reflecting on history in progress. Spadolini captures the nuances of the Pope's voice, his weariness, the strain of his Italian, his tone "almost like schoolmates." It is a dialogue between worlds: the secular and the sacred, the intellectual and the pastor, the West and the East. But it is also a dialogue with the future. The crises they touch upon—from China to Russia, from Bosnia to India—are still open, unresolved, yet addressed with a spirit of listening and vision often lacking in contemporary politics.

(by Paolo Martini)