An Anglo-Irish Convert in "the City"

By popular demand, "A Man Who Became Pope," airs again Aug. 27 on Hallmark Channel

TV movie on Pope John Paul II to air again this weekend

New York, Aug. 24, 2005 (CNA) - By popular demand, the heroic, true story of Pope John Paul II returns to television. The four-hour movie, “A Man Who Became Pope,” will air again on the Hallmark Channel Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. (ET).

The Aug. 15th U.S. premiere of the film set a weeknight audience record for the cable channel.

Filmed on location in Krakow, Poland, and in the Vatican City, the film features an international cast, including Piotr Adamczyk as Karol Wojtyla and Raul Bova as Fr. Tomasz Zaleski, Karol’s close childhood friend and a martyr to the Nazis.

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And, now for a little ironic twist. In 2004 during the making of the film, Pope John Paul II, a former actor, actually met and blessed the Polish actor chosen to play him:

Pope blesses actor who plays role of Karol Wojtyla in new movie

Vatican City, Nov. 16, 2004 (CNA) - Expressing his surprise upon learning of the making of a movie about his life, Pope John Paul II left the Polish actor who plays his part in the film speechless on meeting with him. The movie, entitled "Karol Wojtyla: the story of a man who became Pope," is set to be screened on Italian television early next year.

"When I learned that the Pope was going to receive me I became very emotional," said Piotr Adamczyk in an interview with the Italian magazine Sorrisi e Canzoni. "But at the same time I was very nervous because I didn’t know what to say to him."

Adamczyk said that while playing the role of the Pope he had "so many things to ask him, but when his secretary had presented me to the Holy Father, for the first time ever, I forgot my lines."

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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 2:43 PM