The latest book by Polish-born Pope John Paul hit bookstores in his native land on Monday, amid great interest from fellow Poles.
The pope's fifth book, Memory and Identity, was released in Poland - a mainly Roman Catholic nation of 38 million - with a first-run print of 600,000 copies. The Polish publisher, Znak, had originally planned an initial run of 400,000, but increased the number after a surge of orders from across Poland in the past few weeks, company head Henryk Wozniakowski said.
The book, which was released in Italy on Feb. 23, touches on topics that include the 1981 attempt on John Paul's life and the damage done by Nazism and communism to Europe in the last century. It is based on a transcript of conversations the pope had with two Polish friends, philosopher Krzysztof Michalski and the late Rev. Jozef Tischner, in 1993.
At the official launch in Warsaw, Michalski said the book's "main motive was to discuss the specific suffering in the 20th century."
At the pope's request, proceeds from the Polish edition will go to poor students in Central Europe, Michalski said.
|