Pope Turns 70, Is Hailed as E. Europe Inspiration
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VATICAN CITY — Tributes to Pope John Paul II on his 70th birthday poured into the Vatican on Friday, hailing him as one of the inspirations behind the tumultuous changes in Eastern Europe.
The Pope received thousands of telephone calls and messages from heads of state from around the world, including many from Eastern Europe, a Vatican spokesman said.
A year ago, when the pontiff was marking his 69th birthday, the Vatican had no diplomatic relations with Warsaw Pact countries, which persecuted the church after World War II. It has since forged ties with Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Romania.
East Germany, which only last year still ridiculed religion, issued a postage stamp for the papal birthday.
The Pope, born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, specifically requested that there be no special celebrations to mark his birthday.
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