A 600-year-old saint brought together the Holy Father in Rome and a group of Swedish actors on the last day of October, 1987.
Pope John Paul II has opened the windows of the Vatican to the world more widely than any of his predecessors. A year ago he called spiritual leaders of the world religions to Assisi to pray for peace.
Saint Bridget, the 14th century Swedish saint, worked for 'the soul of Europe' in her own way. She tried to negotiate peace between the kings of England and France. But she is best known for her numerous revelations, written down in her own hand, and for founding the Bridgettine Order, which was first given Papal sanction in 1370.
Her dynamic life, born out of devotion to silence and listening for the dictates of God, was expressed in her often quoted prayer, 'Lord, show me the road and make me willing to walk it.' A group of Swedish artists have been inspired to re-enact her life for modern audiences in the form of a play, 'Show Me The Road'.
Two years ago they performed it in Gdansk, in the church which has the workers at the Lenin shipyard among its parishioners. Their host was Father Henryk Jankowski, close friend and 'father' of Lech Walesa.
The group was invited to present the play in Rome by Mother Tekla, Abbess General of the Bridgettine Order. On her request the Vatican made available the Aula Magna of the 16th century Palazzo della Cancelleria for the performances. This historic hall also houses part of the Vatican art collection.
The Mayor of Rome offered his patronage to this cultural exchange programme. The Swedish Cultural Council, the cultural section of the Swedish Embassy and the Swedish Church in Rome also supported it.
The Pope will visit Sweden and the other Nordic countries in late 1989. It will be the first time a Pope has ever visited this part of Europe.
It is only during the last decades that the number of Catholics has increased markedly in traditionally Protestant Sweden. Today many of her new citizens, among them some 30,000 Poles, have brought their Catholic faith with them from their old homelands.
It was therefore a mixed group that the Swedish Ambassador to the Vatican introduced to the Holy Father. There were the Bridgettine nuns and more than 70 Swedes who had joined the players on their journey to Rome.
The Pope reminded his guests of 'the long history of contacts between your country and this city, the place of martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and Paul' and expressed the wish that the visit would 'help increase the friendship and Christian fellowship which unites us in the Lord Jesus Christ'. As one of the visitors took the opportunity of welcoming him to Sweden the Pope replied, 'This is a preparation for the visit.'
