ZENIT from Roswell, Georgia United States "Pope Begins Polish Trip With Strong Defense of Unborn..." for Wednesday, 27 July 2016

ZENIT from Roswell, Georgia United States "Pope Begins Polish Trip With Strong Defense of Unborn..." for Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Like 
Tweet 
ForwardPope Begins Polish Trip With Strong Defense of Unborn by Kathleen Naab

Pope Francis started off his five-day trip to Poland with a strong defense of the unborn, saying that “life must always be welcomed and protected. These two things go together – welcome and protection, from conception to natural death.”
Abortion is illegal in Poland except for cases of rape/incest, or when the unborn child has a severe disability. It is also considered illegal in cases where the mother’s life is in danger, though as moral theologians explain, due to the principle of double effect, medical interventions to save the life of the mother which unintentionally bring about the death of the child are not abortion at all, since abortion is the deliberate killing of the unborn child.
For the last several years, pro-life groups have sought a constitutional amendment to protect the unborn, and this summer, a new civil initiative to ban abortion was again successful and stands to be debated by government.
In this context, the Pope’s first address in Poland, given to government authorities and other civil leaders just an hour after his arrival, emphasized the duty of the state to assist mothers in welcoming life.
“All of us are called to respect life and care for it,” he said. “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.”
Good memory
Earlier in his address, Pope Francis praised the Polish nation for letting “good memory” have the upper hand in their society.
“In the daily life of each individual and society,” he said, 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 50th 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.”
The Pope said that in order to do this, there must be “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.”
Program
The Holy Father went on to meet privately with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda. He then headed to Wawel Cathedral where he was to have a private meeting with the nation’s bishops.
There are 45 dioceses in Poland and 211 living bishops. The original program for his visit included a formal speech to the prelates, but the Pontiff decided to forego an address and instead have an informal “conversation” without media attention.
The Pope is expected to greet the crowds this evening from his residence in Krakow.
Tomorrow, Francis will visit the Monastery of Jasna Gora and have a time of prayer at the Chapel of the Black Madonna, Our Lady of Częstochowa.
He will celebrate Holy Mass for the occasion of the 1,050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, in the Shrine of Częstochowa.
In the evening, he will participate in Krakow at a welcoming ceremony with the young people of WYD2016.
—
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-authorities-in-poland/
FEATURE: Journey to Lagiewniki, Capital of Divine Mercy by Salvatore Cernuzio

A different air is breathed at Lagiewniki, the hill where the Shrine of Divine Mercy stands, though it is within the city of Krakow, a few kilometers to the south of the evocative historic center. An air of dense spirituality, strong memories and incessant prayer is that of the Sisters, which reverberates the charism of the Founder and of the pilgrims who, by hundreds of thousands, go daily to this place recognized unanimously as the “world capital of Mercy.”
It is here that Christ appeared to the simple Polish Sister Faustina in the spoliation of a beggar, ringing a bell in search of food while she was carrying out her duties as porter, to entrust to her a message to be spread to humanity. It is here that devotion to Divine Mercy was born, so dear to John Paul II to the point of dedicating an encyclical to it,Dives in Misericordia, the second of his pontificate, and to establish that every year on the first Sunday after Easter, its Feast be celebrated.
It is here that now Pope Francis, the Pontiff who wished to give the Church a Holy Year dedicated precisely to Mercy, will come to pray thiscoming Saturday, on the penultimate day of his visit to Poland – a visit that “emphasizes the message contained in these places, putting it at the center of the attention of the universal Church and of the world,” as Sister Miviana Krzak explained to ZENIT. The 32-year-old native of Warsaw is among the youngest nuns of the Convent.
With her blue eyes crowned by the characteristic square white and black veil, “that ‘look’ of Saint Faustina was the first thing that attracted me,” the Sister tells us. She spoke with great seriousness of the “spiritual and material” preparation that preceded in these months the arrival of the Bishop of Rome, but smiled timidly when asked about the story of her vocation — a story of “love,” the infinite love of God, which the girl discerned at 14, while she was preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and was given Saint Faustina’s Diary.
“From that moment I began to pray to God every day,” she recalled. “Then, at 18, during a General Confession, I felt the desire to entrust my life to God, but I did not yet think I would ever become a Sister. It seemed to me something too lofty, a privilege I didn’t deserve.”
“Yet I felt attracted by God. I wanted to be a missionary, but I met with obstacles, so I approached the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, through retreats that the Sisters organize for young people who wish to discern their vocation. The cloister is the cloister but in the end I felt such great love that I decided to give myself totally to Him.”
Sister Miviana said she had not yet read the Pope’s new Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei Quaerere, dedicated in fact to contemplatives. “I was too taken up by the organization of the event.” However, with her fellow Sisters she already embodies the main guidelines, or the invitation to prayerful silence, to prayer and to work in favor of the poor and the weak.
A work that Saint Faustina’s Sisters have carried out for centuries and which is summarized in “showing Mercy with actions, words and prayers.”
“This is our charism!” stressed the Religious. In particular, the nuns’ activity is addressed to women with problems ranging from family conflict to drug and alcohol addiction to prostitution. At present, the convent houses 18 disadvantaged girls, who attend a neighboring College where the Sisters collaborate with lay individuals to rehabilitate them and introduce them into society.
“Our Congregation began with this work already in 1862,” explained Sister Miviana. “Mother Teresa Potozska founded the first House of Mercy for young prostitutes. Then, during World War II and in the dark years of Communism, the service was extended also to War refugees, especially women who were widowed, mothers with children and adolescent girls.”
“There were conversions, but no vocations,” said the Sister.
She explained that a group of these young people will be present in the Convent’s Chapel to greet the Pope. Two hundred nuns of the 400 scattered around the world will also be with them: the majority Polish and others from Brazil, the Philippines, Slovakia and Ukraine. They will all be in the Chapel, “heart of the whole Shrine” — re-painted and re-decorated for the event — already at seven o’clock in the morning, an hour and a half before the Pontiff’s arrival, “to sing and pray.”
They will remain in silence while Francis, kneeling, will pray for a few minutes before the white marble urn that keeps St. Kowalska’s relics, under the painting of the Merciful Jesus — which the Sister had painted in keeping with the indications of Christ Himself — surrounded by votive offerings of the faithful of all countries.
The Holy Father will then go to Faustina’s room, whose window is adorned with white roses, where – explained the Sister – the remains of the Saint’s body are kept at present, gathered during the exhumation desired by John Paul II for the beatification in 1992. Before the remains were kept in a cemetery at the foot of the Basilica, which Faustina herself had built for deceased fellow Sisters. Behind it, on the green lawn splendidly looked after, is now the area with 50 wooden confessionals, where the Pope will hear the confessions of five young people in three languages: Spanish, Italian and French.
Francis, said Sister Miviana, will arrive there in the popemobile, greeting 850 pilgrims up to the Basilica, where the enormous bell tower rises with the statue of John Paul II in bronze, blessing Krakow. The Pope will cross the Holy Door here, built for the occasion, on whose columns are depicted the seven corporal works of mercy and the seven spiritual works of mercy, to then begin the penitential ceremony.
Before the Pope goes to the adjacent Shrine dedicated to St. John Paul II for the Mass, which was built some years ago by his former private secretary, now the archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Dziwisz, a pause is planned in the small chapel where every day and night – “except for the two hours necessary for the cleaning “ Eucharistic Adoration takes place. It was opened after the Polish Pope’s death and every day and every night gathers groups of faithful from different parishes of the Archdiocese that pray before the Most Blessed Sacrament.
These, now, will take turns with the numerous young people that are crowding Krakow for the WYD and who will pause in prayer in these places permeated by mercy. Some of them will go to confession with the available priests, or will have photos taken in front of the giant photograph of Saint Faustina or images of John Paul II’s visits. Many girls turn to Sister Miviana and to other nuns who, kindly, accompany them on a visit or give them pointers.
“This is also to carry out a work of mercy: to give one’s time to others,” explained the Religious. And it is a way “to make young people feel welcome and loved, so that they return home full of charity and mercy,” exactly as Saint Faustina desired, she concluded.

Before Going to Airport, Pope Greeted by 15 Refugees at Santa Marta by Deborah Castellano Lubov

In the moments before departing from Rome for his 15th Apostolic Visit abroad to the nation of Poland, July 27-31, for the occasion of World Youth Day, Pope Francis was greeted by 15 young refugees, reports the Office of Papal Charities.
According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, at about 1:30 p.m., Francis met the nine young men and six girls of different nationalities, most of whom are still without their documents.
The young people wished the Pope a safe journey and a joyous participation in World Youth Day. Though they are not going to the global event, they said they are spiritually united.
After this afternoon’s encounter, Pope Francis, his papal entourage, and journalists boarded the Alitalia plane at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. While on the flight, Francis sent telegrams to the Heads of States of the countries his plane flew over, in accordance with tradition.
Pope Sends Message to Youth in Brownsville, Texas, on Eve of WYD by ZENIT Staff

The following is a translation of the video message the Pope sentTuesday to the young people of the Diocese of Brownsville in Texas, on the border with Mexico. The youth are gathered in the St. Anne parish to join spiritually with their peers attending the 31st World Youth Day in Krakow:
—
“Dear young people of the diocese of Brownsville, gathered on the feast day of St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. I know that you are gathered in Texas, very close to Mexico, very close to Latin America. And I know that you are gathered to come together spiritually with World Youth Day in Krakow. I want to be close to you. I want to tell you always to look forward and always look towards the horizon: do not let life put walls in front of you, always look at the horizon. Always have courage to want more, more, more – but, at the same time, do not forget to look back to the heritage you have received from your ancestors, from your grandparents, from your parents; to the legacy of faith that you now have in your hands, as you look forward.
“I know that some of you will ask me: ‘Father, yes, you tell us to look at the horizon and to remember things, but today, what do I do?’ Live your life to the full! Today, take life as it comes and do good to others. In the world today, a game is being played out in which there is no room for substitutes: either you are in the team or you are out. Take the memories you have inherited, look towards the horizon and today, grasp life and carry it forward, use it productively, make it fruitful. God calls you to be fruitful! God calls you to transmit this life to others. God calls you to create hope. God calls you to receive mercy and show mercy to others. God calls you to be happy. Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid. Play life to the full! That is life.
“I wish you a good meeting with the young people linked with World Youth Day, united with the young people who are in Krakow. Live with enthusiasm and go forward! May the Virgin Mary take great care of you and may Jesus bless you. And please do not forget to pray for me. Thank you.”
3 Reasons Why ‘Vikings’ Is the Most Religiously Interesting Show on TV by Bishop Robert Barron

At the prompting of some of my younger colleagues at Word on Fire, I spent time during a recent vacation getting caught up on the History Channel show Vikings. My friends had told me that Vikings, curiously, is the most religious show on television. They were right. Don’t get me wrong, there is enough violence, pillaging, plundering, sword-fighting, and political intrigue to satisfy the most macho viewers; but Vikings is also drenched with religion—and for that I applaud Michael Hirst, its sole writer and director. For this emphasis is not only historically accurate, but it also resists the regnant orthodoxy in much of the entertainment industry that characters should be presented as though they are indifferent to the world of faith.
First of all, everyone in Vikings is religious: the Northmen (and women) themselves, the English, the French, and visitors from distant lands. To be sure, they are religious in very different ways, but there is no one who does not take with utter seriousness a connection to a higher, spiritual realm. Moreover, their spirituality is not an abstraction, but rather is regularly embodied in ritual, prayer, procession, liturgy, and mystical experience. The ubiquity and intensity of faith in these various peoples and tribes calls to mind philosopher Charles Taylor’s observation that, prior to 1500 or so, it was practically unthinkable not to be religious. That God exists, that spiritual powers impinge upon the world, that we live on after we die, that a higher authority judges our deeds—all of this was simply the default of the overwhelming majority of the human race prior to very recent times in certain pockets of Western civilization. Taylor speaks of the “buffered self” that has come to dominate today. He means the identity that is closed in upon itself, oblivious to a transcendent dimension, committed unquestioningly to a naturalist or materialist view of reality. I must confess that it was enormously refreshing to watch a program in which every single self was unbuffered!
Second, Vikings is extraordinarily instructive in regard to one of the most vexing problems of our time, namely, the clash of religions. When the Vikings first come ashore on the eastern coast of England, their initial contact is with the monastery of Lindisfarne, where they find, not mighty warriors, but prayerful, non-violent monks. They are both amused and intrigued. There is a particularly affecting scene in which the Vikings confront Athelstan the monk, who would come to play a crucial role in the series, and they discover that, of all the treasures in the monastery, he is most concerned with protecting a book of the Gospels. Facing down the swords, clubs, and firebrands of the Vikings, Athelstan hugs to his chest the sacred text. It would be hard to imagine a more powerful and beautiful manner of indicating the centrality of the Word to Christians. On another early raid, Floki, a kind of Norse mystic and ardent defender of Viking spirituality, enters a chapel where Mass is being offered. As the priest and people cower in fear, Floki strides to the altar, drinks some of the consecrated wine, and then spits the contents out. The Christian faithful gasp and shriek in dismay. The conquerors, of course, are puzzled, but they have learned a key lesson regarding Christian theology of the Eucharist.
And the learning moves in the opposite direction as well. Since Athelstan speaks their language, the Vikings carry him back to their home country, and the monk becomes, in time, a dear friend to Ragnar, the Viking king. From the pagan potentate, Athelstan hears the stories of Thor, Odin, and the other Norse divinities, and he learns to appreciate the spirituality ingredient in these figures and myths. Athelstan wears an amulet carved with representations of Ragnar’s gods, even as he coaxes Ragnar through the words of the Our Father. Lest this all seem like so much anything-goes, all-spiritualities-are-the-same-deep-down political correctness, know that the characters in Vikings remain deeply interested in getting it right religiously. After some dalliance with Norse religion, Athelstan definitively and joyfully re-embraces his Christianity; and Floki remains, despite plenty of contact with Christianity, an ardent adept of Viking religion. Moreover, Ragnar’s brother Rollo, who accepts baptism for cynical, political reasons, finds himself oddly but unmistakably changed by the sacrament. In short, we find all of the confusion, fascination, explosive violence, and truly creative dialogue that we might expect from a real confrontation between faiths.
I would like to close with a third and final observation, this time about Rollo. Though the makers of the series have fudged things a bit for dramatic purposes, the historical Rollo, in point of fact, became a convinced Christian and established himself as leader in the northwest region of present day France. Since he and his fellows were “northmen,” the area became known as Normandy, and Rollo’s great-great-great grandson was William the Conquerer, who would have an unsurpassed influence on the cultural development of Christian England. Indeed, Queen Elizabeth II, who carries the title “Defender of the Faith,” is ultimately descended from William and hence from Rollo. As Athelstan demonstrates, Christianity has always, at its best, had the power of assimilation, the ability to adapt to itself what is good, true, and beautiful in other religions and cultural forms. How wonderful that Vikings manages to show this.
So if you’re a bit tired of the dreary secularism that dominates so much of contemporary entertainment and politics, I might invite you to watch a program that makes religion—and Christianity in particular—the central theme.
#WYD Pilgrim Confronts Addiction: ‘The Gospel Heals’ by ZENIT Staff

By M. Z. de la Morena
Just a few years ago, if anyone had told Miguel that he would be speaking to Pope Francis in front of thousands of young people in Poland—telling the story of how he overcame his addiction to drugs—he would never have believed them.
But that is exactly what Miguel Ángel Vera from Paraguay will be doing. At 34, he is healthy and full of life. He has the responsibility of running one of the Fazendas da Esperança, or “Farms of Hope.” He himself is a graduate from one of the centres that are endorsed by the Church and are setting up shop in many countries around the world. The centers’ focus in particular on helping young people overcome drug and alcohol addiction.
“I’m going to tell them what God has done for me,” the young man told international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. He gets to talk to many thousands of young people from the world at the papal prayer vigil that is to take place July 30 in Krakow.
“It is not only about reading out what I have already prepared in front of the Pope; God has sent me to do something more than this—with the story of my life I am going to convey the mercy of God,” Miguel declared.
Miguel is a powerful example of how it is possible to overcome every difficulty, through “pardon, patience, service of others and generosity,” as he put it. Just a few years ago, nobody in his family would even talk to him, “except my mother”—because “mothers forgive everything.”
After spending six years in prison and after various other terrible experiences, Miguel returned to his family home. For the first month of his new life there, one particular priest, called Padre Antonio, came to see him every day, inviting him to visit the local Fazenda da Esperança. “Every day for 30 days, the mercy of God came knocking on my door, and I turned him away,” Miguel said. But after so many times repeating, “I don’t want to go; don’t talk to me about God,” Miguel finally changed his mind and decided to visit the Fazenda.
“As soon I arrived in the community, I felt at home, I felt I was among my family,” Miguel said, adding that he felt “the embrace of God” just as soon as he crossed the threshold. “The Gospel heals,” he said in a tone of absolute conviction. “The Gospel heals.”
Miguel is attending World Youth Day along with a group of young people whose pilgrimage is sponsored by Aid to the Church in Need, which also supports a number of Fazendas.
Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy See, providing assistance to the suffering and persecuted Church in more than 140 countries. www.churchinneed.org (USA); www.acnuk.org (UK); www.aidtochurch.org (AUS); www.acnireland.org (IRL); www.acn-aed-ca.org (CAN)www.acnmalta.org (Malta)
Pope’s Address to Authorities in Poland by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis arrived in Poland this afternoon, beginning his trip to the host nation of World Youth Day XXXI with an address to government authorities and other leaders of society.
Here is the Vatican translation of his address:
__
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![Original: Italian]© Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Krakow the City: an Overview by ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis arrived this afternoon in Krakow, the former capital of Poland and its most renowned city. With 762,000 inhabitants and situated on the banks of the Vistula, the first written records of its existence date from the 10th century, when it formed part of the Grand Duchy of Moravia from 990. Christianity reached Poland long before the official date – 966 – of the country’s baptism.
Krakow was the capital of the kingdom from 1038, under the Piast dynasty. In the 12th century several Jewish communities were established in the Kazimierz quarter (26% of the population in 1939). After near destruction by the Tartars between 1241 and 1242, the city rapidly resurged under the influence of the population of German origin. After several years of Czech rule, in 1320 Wladyslaw Lokietek was crowned King of Poland for the first time in the cathedral of Wawel, which thereafter became the location for coronation until the end of the monarchy in 1795.
Throughout the centuries the university (Akademia Krakowska), attended by Nicolaus Copernicus, among others, transformed the city into one of the liveliest cultural and artistic centres of Europe, but a fire in 1596 necessitated the transfer of the royal residence to Warsaw, which subsequently became the capital city, leading to the decline of Krakow, further compounded by the partition of Poland. Despite the insurrection of 1794, it came definitively under Austrian rule in 1846, and was restored to the reconstituted Poland only in 1918. In the nineteenth century Krakow once again became a centre for Polish art and culture, and underwent major economic development as a result of the exploitation of the mines of nearby Silesia.
On 1 September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland and during the same month 184 professors from the Jagiellonian University were deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and the Jewish population, consisting of 68,000 people, was exterminated. Three concentration camps were established in the city in which 20,000 non-Jewish Polish citizens and 34 priests were killed. Krakow became the capital of the General Government of the Polish territories under German occupation and not annexed to the Reich. The Nazis confiscated numerous works of art: the rapid intervention of the Soviet army saved from destruction a number of Krakow’s monuments, which had been mined by the Germans, but claimed many victims among the population.
Krakow enjoyed a revival after the Second World War, beginning in 1949 due to rapid demographic growth and the creation of the Nowa Huta industrial quarter at the gates of Krakow, with which the socialist regime sought to demonstrate the strength of its ideology in contrast to the “conservative” and “clerical” capital. It was here on Christmas Eve in 1973 that, in view of the government’s decision not to grant space for the construction of a Catholic church, the then archbishop of Krakow Karol Wojtyla celebrated an open-air Mass attended by an extraordinary number of faithful. St. John Paul II was archbishop of Krakow from 1964 to 1978 and as Supreme Pontiff he visited the city during five of his apostolic trips (1979, 1983, 1991, 1999, 2002), while Benedict XVI visited during his apostolic trip to Poland in 2006 and celebratedSunday Mass in Blonia, attended by more than a million people.
Aside from the University, Krakow has 14 academic centres attended by 85,000 students, and has 12 major seminaries, and is also the city with the greatest number of museums – 30 – in Poland. In 1978 the monumental complex of Krakow, along with the nearby Wieliczka salt mine, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2000 it was the European City of Culture, and in 2013 it was designated a UNESCO City of Literature, the first European city to receive this title.
Pope Prays at Santa Maria Maggiore Before Departing for Poland by Deborah Castellano Lubov

Last evening, Pope Francis traveled to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray for the success of his 15th Apostolic Visit abroad to the nation of Poland, July 27-31, for the occasion of World Youth Day. The Holy Father almost always visits Rome’s Marian Basilica to pray for Mary’s protection and intercession before and after his papal trips.
According to Vatican Radio, the Pope prayed before the ancient image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, and invoked the Virgin Mary’s protection on his travels and upon the people he will visit in Poland and for all involved in World Youth Day.
This afternoon, Pope Francis, his papal entourage, and journalists boarded the Alitalia plane at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
Innovative Media Inc.
30 Mansell Road, Suite 103
Roswell, Georgia 30076, United States
---------------------