(Vatican Radio) During the first official event of his five day visit to Poland, Pope Francis urged the country’s political leaders to welcome migrants fleeing from wars and hunger, while at the same time protecting human life from conception until natural death.
The Pope’s words came as he met with the nation’s president, prime minister and other political leaders in the courtyard of Krakow’s historic Wawel Castle complex.
Noting that this visit marks his first to central-eastern Europe, the Pope spoke about the importance of history in establishing a national identity, based on human and spiritual resources. Recalling the recent 1.050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, he said the event marked a powerful moment of national unity, reaffirming harmony, “even amid a diversity of opinions”.
Pope Francis said that while negative historical memories keep the heart and mind fixed on evil, goodPope memories can help a country move forward and forge better relations between peoples and nations. He noted especially the offering of mutual forgiveness between Polish and German Church leaders after the Second World War and the more recent rapprochement between the Catholic Church in Poland and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Speaking of the challenges facing the country today, including the economy, environmental concerns and “the complex phenomenon of migration”, the Pope called for “a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing” conflicts or deprived of their basic rights. At the same time, he said, new forms of international cooperation must be developed in order to resolve the problems that force people to leave their native lands.
Please find below the English translation of Pope Francis’s address to Polish authorities in Krakow’s Wawel Castle:
Mr President, Honourable Authorities, Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps, University Rectors, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I offer a respectful greeting to His Excellency the President, and I thank him for his gracious welcome and kind words. I am pleased to greet the distinguished members of Government and Parliament, the University Rectors, the regional and municipal Authorities, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps and the other authorities present. This is my first visit to central-eastern Europe and I am happy to begin with Poland, the homeland of the unforgettable Saint John Paul II, originator and promoter of the World Youth Days. Pope John Paul liked to speak of a Europe that breathes with two lungs. The ideal of a new European humanism is inspired by the creative and coordinated breathing of these two lungs, together with the shared civilization that has its deepest roots in Christianity.
Memory is the hallmark of the Polish people. I was always impressed by Pope John Paul’s vivid sense of history. Whenever he spoke about a people, he started from its history, in order to bring out its wealth of humanity and spirituality. A consciousness of one’s own identity, free of any pretensions to superiority, is indispensable for establishing a national community on the foundation of its human, social, political, economic and religious heritage, and thus inspiring social life and culture in a spirit of constant fidelity to tradition and, at the same time, openness to renewal and the future. In this sense, you recently celebrated the 1,050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland. That was indeed a powerful moment of national unity, which reaffirmed that harmony, even amid a diversity of opinions, is the sure path to achieving the common good of the entire Polish people.
Similarly, fruitful cooperation in the international sphere and mutual esteem grow through awareness of, and respect for, one’s own identity and that of others. Dialogue cannot exist unless each party starts out from its own identity. In the daily life of each individual and society, though, there are two kinds of memory: good and bad, positive and negative. Good memory is what the Bible shows us in the Magnificat, the canticle of Mary, who praises the Lord and his saving works. Negative memory, on the other hand, keeps the mind and heart obsessively fixed on evil, especially the wrongs committed by others. Looking at your recent history, I thank God that you have been able to let good memory have the upper hand, for example, by celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the forgiveness mutually offered and accepted between the Polish and German episcopates, following the Second World War. That initiative, which initially involved the ecclesial communities, also sparked an irreversible social, political, cultural and religious process that changed the history of relationships between the two peoples. Here too we can think of the Joint Declaration between the Catholic Church in Poland and the Orthodox Church of Moscow: an act that inaugurated a process of rapprochement and fraternity not only between the two Churches, but also between the two peoples.
The noble Polish nation has thus shown how one can nurture good memory while leaving the bad behind. This requires a solid hope and trust in the One who guides the destinies of peoples, opens closed doors, turns problems into opportunities and creates new scenarios from situations that appeared hopeless. This is evident from Poland’s own historical experience. After the storms and dark times, your people, having regained its dignity, could say, like the Jews returning from Babylon, “We were like those who dream… our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy” (Ps 126:1-2). An awareness of the progress made and joy at goals achieved, become in turn a source of strength and serenity for facing present challenges. These call for the courage of truth and constant ethical commitment, to ensure that decisions and actions, as well as human relationships, will always be respectful of the dignity of the person. In this, every sphere of action is involved, including the economy, environmental concerns and the handling of the complex phenomenon of migration.
This last area calls for great wisdom and compassion, in order to overcome fear and to achieve the greater good. There is a need to seek out the reasons for emigration from Poland and to facilitate the return of all those wishing to repatriate. Also needed is a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing from wars and hunger, and solidarity with those deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to profess one’s faith in freedom and safety. At the same time, new forms of exchange and cooperation need to be developed on the international level in order to resolve the conflicts and wars that force so many people to leave their homes and their native lands. This means doing everything possible to alleviate the suffering while tirelessly working with wisdom and constancy for justice and peace, bearing witness in practice to human and Christian values.
In the light of its thousand-year history, I invite the Polish nation to look with hope to the future and the issues before it. Such an approach will favour a climate of respect between all elements of society and constructive debate on differing positions. It will also create the best conditions for civil, economic and even demographic growth, fostering the hope of providing a good life for coming generations. The young should not simply have to deal with problems, but rather be able to enjoy the beauty of creation, the benefits we can provide and the hope we can offer. Social policies in support of the family, the primary and fundamental cell of society, assisting underprivileged and poor families, and helping responsibly to welcome life, will thus prove even more effective. Life must always be welcomed and protected. These two things go together – welcome and protection, from conception to natural death. All of us are called to respect life and care for it. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the State, the Church and society to accompany and concretely help all those who find themselves in serious difficulty, so that a child will never be seen as a burden but as a gift, and those who are most vulnerable and poor will not be abandoned.
Mr President,
As throughout its long history, Poland can count on the cooperation of the Catholic Church, so that, in the light of the foundational Christian principles that forged Poland’s history and identity, the nation may, in changed historical conditions, move forward in fidelity to its finest traditions and with trust and hope, even in times of difficulty.
In expressing once again my gratitude, I offer heartfelt good wishes to you and all present, for a serene and fruitful service of the common good.
May Our Lady of Czestochowa bless and protect Poland!
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent telegrams to the leaders of Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia, on Wednesday, as his flight from Rome to Krakow traveled through each country’s airspace. All but one of the telegrams – that sent to Italian President Sergio Mattarella – were in English. We bring you the telegrams below, with Vatican Radio’s translation of the Italian message
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ITALIA
A SUA ECCELLENZA
ON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENTE DELLA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
PALAZZO DEL QUIRINALE 00187 ROMA
NEL MOMENTO IN CUI MI ACCINGO A PARTIRE PER LA POLONIA IN OCCASIONE DELLA GIORNATA MONDIALE DELLA GIOVENTU’, ANIMATO DAL VIVO DESIDERIO DI INCONTRARE I GIOVANI PROVENIENTI DA TUTTO IL MONDO PER UN SIGNIFICATIVO RADUNO NEL SEGNO DELLA FEDE E DELLA FRATERNITA’, MI E’ GRADITO RIVOLGERE A LEI, SIGNOR PRESIDENTE, E A TUTTI GLI ITALIANI IL MIO AFFETTUOSO E BENEAUGURANTE SALUTO CHE ACCOMPAGNO CON OGNI PIU’ CORDIALE ED ORANTE AUSPICIO DI PACE E DI PROSPERITA’
FRANCISCUS PP
To His Excellency
Hon. Sergio Mattarella
President of the Italian Republic
Quirinal Palace 00187 Rome
In the moment in which I prepare to depart for Poland, on the occasion of World Youth Day, and animated by the ardente desire to encounter young people from all around the world for a meaningful gathering under the sign of faith and fraternity, it has pleased me to address to you, Mr. President, and to all Italians, my affectionate greetings and best wishes, with which I also accompany every most cordial and prayerful hope for peace and prosperity
CROATIA
HER EXCELLENCY KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
ZAGREB
ENTERING CROATIAN AIRSPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO POLAND, I EXTEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY. I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY BESTOW UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS THE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
SLOVENIA
HIS EXCELLENCY BORUT PAHOR
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA
LJUBLJANA
ENTERING SLOVENIAN AIRSPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO POLAND, I OFFER WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AS I INVOKE GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.
AUSTRIA
HER EXCELLENCY DORIS BURES
PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL
OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIAVIENNA
I SEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY OVER AUSTRIA ON MY WAY TO POLAND FOR MY PASTORAL VISIT. I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY GRANT YOU ALL THE DIVINE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
HUNGARY
HIS EXCELLENCY JÁNOS ÁDER
PRESIDENT OF HUNGARY
BUDAPEST
ENTERING HUNGARIAN AIRSPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO POLAND, I EXTEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXECELLENCY. I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY BESTOW UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
SLOVACCHIA
HIS EXCELLENCY ANDREJ KISKA
PRESIDENT OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
BRATISLAVA
AS I ENTER SLOVAKIAN AIRSPACE ON MY WAY TO POLAND FOR MY PASTORAL VISIT, I OFFER WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY. UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS I INVOKE THE ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
FRANCISCUS PP.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Referring to recent acts of violence, Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the world is at war but stressed “it is not a war of religions but for power. “It is,” he continued, “a war about (economic) interests, money, natural resources and the domination of peoples.” The Pope was responding to questions about the recent series of attacks including Tuesday’s killing of a Catholic priest in France, put to him by journalists accompanying him on the plane from Rome to Krakow in Poland.
(More details of the Pope’s remarks to follow)
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Volunteers are keeping busy as the 31st World Youth Day gets underway in Poland.
Vatican Radio’s very own Lydia O’Kane is in Krakow, and shares with us her perspective of the atmosphere on the ground.
Listen:
It’s all hands on deck at the headquarters of the World Youth Day organising committee in the heart of Krakow. Staff and volunteers have been working day and night to ensure that everything goes to plan and nothing is left to chance. As I look around this office space, apart from the computers, pens and reams of paper, ready meals take up their positions on the desks in these rooms, as busy personnel grab a snack on the go.
All the volunteers, who come from all over the world have a particular job to do. Watching two girls stare intensely at their computer screens, I am told they are working in the international relations department which includes dealing with episcopal conferences around the world. In another area of this building there is more work being done on registrations. As I look for my interviewee my attention turns to two young men gathering up a bundle of World Youth Day reading material, while another volunteer receives her instructions.
So why have they come as volunteers? For many, they have been to a World Youth Day before, some to Madrid, others to Brazil, a number also to both, as pilgrims. But the overwhelming reply I hear from the volunteers here is that they want to give back what they have themselves received at World Youth Day, and where better than the city of Krakow.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) French president Francois Hollande telephoned Pope Francis on Tuesday following the death of the elderly priest Fr. Jacques Hamel , 84, who was killed when two Islamic assailants entered his Church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray as he was celebrating Mass.
Hollande said “that when a priest is attacked, all of France is wounded,” according to a statement . He assured the Pope that everything would be done to protect Churches and places of worship.
Recalling Pope Francis’ efforts to defend Christians in the Middle East, Hollonde said that, amid “such painful and harsh” circumstances, he “hoped that the spirit of harmony would prevail over hatred.”
(from Vatican Radio)…