'Divine Plan' Regales Tale of Communism's Demise

It remains the least-known historical event of the 20th century: a president and a Pope who combine deep faith with political acumen and high-octane star power to help end the Cold War.

And the incredible story of how President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II joined forces to change the world is now a riveting documentary — "The Divine Plan" — to be aired Wednesday, Oct. 25, on Newsmax2.

In "The Divine Plan," award-winning writer-director Robert Orlando takes an in-depth look at the pivotal bond that formed between America's 40th commander in chief and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Just six weeks apart in the spring of 1981, the president and the Pontiff took bullets from would-be assassins. Surviving strikingly similar near-death experiences, they confided to each other a shared conviction: God had spared their lives for the purpose of defeating communism.

With that ambitious goal in mind, both men worked behind the scenes to drive a stake through the heart of the Cold War.

"The Divine Plan" features exclusive interviews with renowned historians, scholars, journalists, and church officials, including Craig Shirley, the leading biographer of John Paul II; Reagan adviser Richard V. Allen; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Reagan and John Paul "knew the Soviets were evil and the West was good. And they believed it was their divine destiny to conquer and destroy an Evil Empire," Shirley says.

"They were steadfast in their public convictions that the Soviet Union was an evil presence in the extreme. The Soviet system was evil, and it and those who promulgated the system needed to be stopped and the system smashed."

Working tirelessly, both leaders helped set the stage for the collapse of the Soviet Union and reunification of Berlin.

It's a fascinating documentary full of intrigue, meetings, and backroom deals — straight out of a John le Carre novel. And it is especially relevant now with Vladimir Putin's ruthless attack on Ukraine.

Don't miss "The Divine Plan" Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. on Newsmax2.