This government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba.

In the 1970s, the United States was spending millions to fight communism around the world.

Americans have gone to far lands to fight for freedom that has brought us to Vietnam.

LB.J immediately asked Congress to sanction any steps necessary to counter communist aggression.

While in Italy, more and more people were voting communists into power.

In this country of political turmoil, the Communist Party has been steadily growing.

In this conflicted world, the Catholic Church found itself caught between a political philosophy that rejected religion

and the Italian voters desire for political change.

Not only the working class, but business people and middle class people are now supporting

the Communist Party in larger numbers.

Meanwhile, in northern Italy, the bishop of Vittorio Veneto was fulfilling a promise he made to his father to serve the

poor and working class. At a meeting of bishops held in Rome in 1971, Albino Luciani

stood up and told his fellow prelates that industrial nations should give one percent of their

income to poor nations. In his words, it would be just compensation owed

for injustices

that consumer-oriented world

is committing.

Then Luciani rose in the church

to become the powerful patriarch of Venice

and sold off the gold cross and chain

gifted to him by the Pope

to raise money for disabled children.

...