Italy: Upside-Down Visit

In eight precedent-shattering trips to foreign nations, Pope Paul VI has visited Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and even New York City—all without incident. Last week, in the course of another excursion out of Rome, the Pontiff experienced his first hostile encounter. It came from, of all people, Italians. During a nine-hour visit to the island of Sardinia, Paul and his motorcade became involved in a battle between police and Sardinian anarchists in which rocks and fists flew. Uninjured and safely back in Rome, the Pope next day leveled an unusually caustic criticism—somewhat reminiscent in tone of Vice...

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