Roland Dallas

Roland was extremely friendly, soft spoken and somewhat shy. He was a true English gentleman. For me, as his deputy in the Rome office, he was the ideal boss - for he spent a lot of time outside the office, meeting people, cultivating contacts and giving me the freedom in running the office, more or less, for which I was very grateful.

The year 1978 was marked by an extremely challenging series of events - the kidnapping and murder of Premier Aldo Moro, a major earthquake, the impeachment of the Italian President, the death of Pope Paul, the election of Pope John Paul I, his sudden death after only 34 days in office, the surprise election of the Polish Pope John Paul II.

The day before the decisive session of the conclave Roland paid one of his regular visits to the Vatican library where an elderly monsignore told him that he better get prepared for a man from Cracow. Hardly anyone had this great Pole on his agenda when the words rang out “Habemus Papam. Carol Woytyla…”

The crowds in the piazza went wild and shouted “Un Africano, un Africano”. But Roland knew better. ■