On the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II MAL ROGERS looks back at 1978 when Karol Józef Wojtyła became Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church — at the end of a series of tumultuous events for the Vatican better known to the World  as Pope John Paul II Next month Wadowice will mark the 20th anniversary of the pope’s death with a series of events A museum at the house he grew up on Kościelna Street carries a permanent exhibition to Pope John Paul Supreme Pontiff and Bishop of Rome from 1978 until his death on April 2 special Masses and a series of concerts in the main square and venues in the town The John Paul II Family Home Museum in Wadowice will play a central role with a special exhibition focused on his legacy and connection to the town Pilgrims and visitors from Poland and abroad are expected to attend A special exhibition titled “Witness to Hope: The Legacy of Saint John Paul II” will feature rare artifacts and multimedia displays highlighting his papacy personal items from his childhood in Wadowice — and a display dedicated to his Irish visit Several Irish dioceses are organising pilgrimages to Wadowice and Kraków for the occasion The main commemorative Mass will take place at the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on April 2 2025 – where Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II) was baptised Senior clergy from across Poland and the Vatican will attend and officiate at church services and Masses POPE John Paul was the third pope in the year of 1978 the Vatican’s Secretary of State — known as the cardinal camerlengo — approached the body of Pope Paul VI and would have said probably in Latin “Vere Papa mortuus est” (the pope is truly dead) and would have removed the Fisherman’s Ring from the Holy Father This would have been subsequently hammered to destruction to ensure no forgeries could be made Funeral arrangements the were put in motion But the papal duties were weighing heavily on him as he faced opposition from various groups within the Church — both conservatives and progressives his death sparking off a series of events that would mire the church in controversy and gossip The conclave subsequently elected Albino Luciani Luciani appeared genuinely reluctant to take on the job with many of his friends believing he might well refuse But he was duly elected as Supreme Pontiff of the Western Church In honour of his two predecessors Cardinal Luciano took the name John Paul I his private secretary Father John Magee — emeritus Bishop of Cloyne — was reported to have found Pope John Paul dead in his bed It later emerged that it was one of the nuns who cared for the pope who had in fact made the discovery But to announce to the world that a woman had found the pope in his bed seemed not quite de rigueur to the Vatican authorities so a story was concocted round the Newry-born Father Magee The pope’s niece drove down to the local church in Canale d’Agordo to give the news to the parish priest Don Rinaldo Andrich had just finished Mass He turned to the small congregation before it dispersed and said “They tell me the pope is dead.” The first official announcement of his death CONSPIRACY theories that Pope John Paul I Had been murdered soon surfaced For a man of 67 he appeared to be in good health The fact that no post mortem was carried out further fueled gossip; in addition the timing of contacting the undertakers came under scrutiny In the days following John Paul’s death a rumor circulated that he may have been on the point of exposing a major financial scandal within the Vatican Bank Major criminals would certainly have gone to any lengths to prevent this Pope John Paul I almost certainly died of natural causes and subsequently got caught out in a catalogue of needless lies about his death and discovery of his body who had been private secretary to Pope Paul VI The circumstances around the Pope’s death were confusing and poorly managed by the Vatican Magee’s somewhat conflicting accounts contributed to the confusion But in reality Pope John Paul I had probably died of a heart attack the evening before his body was discovered 1978 Albino Luciano’s family were phoned once again the papal secretary and a fluent Italian speaker simply said: “Zio Albino e morto.” Uncle Albino is dead After the death of Pope John Paul I the conclave reconvened at the Sistine Chapel on October 14 announced from the central balcony of St Peter’s It seems likely that Cardinal Wojtyla only emerged after all the Italian candidatures had failed due to a split between liberals and hard line conservatives 1978 isn’t the only year in the history of the Catholic Church were three popes have sat in the Vatican when the Vatican started off the year with Pope Clement VIII He was followed by Pope Leo XII who died after 27 days The very first year of three popes on 827 when Eugene II Valentine and Gregory IV consecutively held the position of Bishop of Rome Pope Valentine’s papal reign lasted only 41 days Following his high-profile service as private secretary to three Popes John Magee returned to Ireland in 1987 to take up the position of Bishop of Cloyne in Cork bringing Vatican experience and papal proximity back to the Irish Church at a time of significant societal and ecclesiastical change Pope John Paul even entrusted him to go to the H Blocks and attempt to persuade the Hunger Strikers to abandon their action It was rumored that this son of dairy farmer from Co Down might soon expect to become a cardinal But despite being trusted and depended on by three successive popes A reportedly shy man with no overt ambitions Magee’s legacy in Cloyne would ultimately be defined not by his Vatican credentials but by his controversial handling of clerical abuse allegations Magee’s leadership in the diocese came under increasing scrutiny Although initially seen as a traditionalist bishop with strong pastoral instincts his governance faltered in the face of emerging revelations about child sexual abuse by clergy within his diocese A 2008 report from the National Board for Safeguarding Children revealed serious failures in Magee’s response to abuse allegations stating that he had placed children at risk Magee stepped aside from the day-to-day running of the diocese ceding control to an apostolic administrator It revealed that Magee had misled investigators and failed to implement Church guidelines on safeguarding His resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 Magee also offered to meet abuse victims and apologised “on bended knee” I am sorry and I wish to say that if they wish to come and see me privately I will speak with them and offer my deepest apology,” he said Bishop Magee said he had been “truly horrified” when he read the full extent of the abuse in the report But Magee’s post-Vatican career became emblematic of the wider failures of the Irish Church hierarchy to adequately address and respond to clerical abuse the fall from grace of a man so closely tied to the papacy was both shocking and symbolic of a broader institutional crisis within the Church Copyright © 2025 · IrishAmerica Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in the place where he was born and where he lived his first years is today a museum dedicated to the holy Pope On its walls traces his entire life and the most significant events of Karol Wojtyła's existence Photo credits: Muzeum Dom Rodzinny Ojca Świętego Jana Pawła II w Wadowicach that child was John Paul II and he recounted his memories during a pastoral visit to his hometown: "Once again during my ministry to the universal Church in the Holy See I look with great emotion at this city of my childhood he had an endearing encounter with thousands of people who filled the central square of Wadowice and the millions of Poles who followed the broadcast on television one of the descendants of the owners of the building where little Karol had been born began negotiations with the Polish government to recover the property which had been lost during the communist period once the complicated legal aspects had been solved That offer coincided in time with the death of John Paul II A prosperous businessman, moved by the exemplary life of the Polish Pope, decided to acquire the building and pay for the renovation project to open a new church there. John Paul II Family House Museum which included the home rented by the Wojtylas was adapted to house a modern narrative museum that allows visitors not only to learn about the life John Paul II but also to take them on a journey back in time through Poland's most recent history The result is about 1200 m2 of exhibition space on four floors divided into sixteen zones The heart of the museum is the Wojtyła's apartment where Karol was born and lived for eighteen years We describe in a synthetic way some of these areas The part dedicated to the years of Karol's youth shows the roots of his personality and spirituality Visitors can perceive the atmosphere of Wadowice in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century - as the future pope remembered it - full of cultural and spiritual richness as well as of the prominent people of Wadowice In separate showcases you can see documents of great historical value such as Karol Wojtyła's bachelor's degree and the manuscript of his curriculum vitae Wadowice at the beginning of the 20th century was a world where cultures and religions crossed the exhibition dedicated to the Jews of Wadowice who constituted twenty percent of the city's inhabitants In the room designed as the pre-war store of Chiel Bałamuth the owner of the building who rented the apartment to the Wojtyła's Karol's friend from elementary school days until the end of his life In this first area of the museum you can see objects related to two important places for the spirituality of the future Pope The first of these is the scapular that Karol received in the Carmelite convent of Wadowice the Carmelite convent "na Górce" (on the Mount) which is today one of the most valuable objects in the Museum It was also there that Karol Wojtyła's fascination with Carmelite spirituality began which found expression in his licentiate and doctoral work From 1919 to 1938 the Wojtyła's lived on the second floor of the house located at 9 Kościelna Street - Church Street (formerly Rynek 2 - the Main Square The house then housed Chiel Bałamuth's store as well as other stores and handicraft workshops which constituted a kind of shopping center The Wojtyła's house consisted of three interconnected rooms: the kitchen The house was accessed from the outer courtyard by a spiral staircase leading up to the landing where the door led directly into the kitchen The interior of the Wojtyła's home was reminiscent of houses of intellectual middle-class families Today you can see its reconstruction based on the memories of Karol's neighbors and friends The dwelling decorated with period furniture and original objects belonging to the Wojtyła's as well as family crockery and photographs from the family album when little Karol was left alone in the apartment with his father this room became the main room of the house there was also the kneeler where - as John Paul II recalled - he often saw his father praying at night Through the kitchen window Karol could see on the wall of the parish church the sundial with the inscription "Time is running Visitors to the museum can also see this clock today The Krakow stage occupied forty years of Karol's life from his departure from Wadowice in 1938 to his election to the Petrine See in 1978 In this part of the exhibition you can see the objects that refer to the life of the future Pope from the time of the Second World War the work in the quarry of Zakrzówek or the formation to the priesthood Karol and his father lived at 10 Tyniecka Street in a house that belonged to Robert Kaczorowski the future pope began studying Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University developing his passion for theater and poetry This part of the exhibition presents Karol Wojtyła as a worker in the Solvay chemical industry factory where he started working during the war to avoid being deported to Germany at forced labor In the autumn of 1942 Karol Wojtyła decided to enter the Diocesan Seminary of Krakow and the following day he celebrated his first Mass in the crypt of St A replica of that crypt can be visited in the museum In the stained glass windows on the side you can see the prayer cards commemorating the first Mass of the priest Karol Wojtyła - one with the handwritten inscription and another card on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood The central object of this part - which heralds the next - is the last of several cassocks and John Paul II's first papal cassock with which he greeted those gathered in St In this room a large replica of a boat from the time of Christ found on the shore of the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum The boat is the symbol of the Church - on October 16 1979 the Cardinal of Krakow became its helmsman In this area of the museum resound the words of Cardinal Pericle Felici who in Latin announces to the assembled crowd: Habemus papam.. The speech is complemented by a film documenting the moment of Karol Wojtyła's election to the Petrine See visitors pass through a dark room that introduces them to the events of May 13 John Paul II was the victim of an assassination attempt The original gun with which Ali Agca shot him can be seen behind glass on the floor A multimedia screen that draws on photographs and documentary films as well as radio recordings reflects the terror of those moments The silent witnesses are other objects - the suit of Francesco Pasanisi with visible blood stains and also the painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa that was to be given to the Pope by one of the groups on the same day and in front of which - right after the attack - they all prayed in the Square It should be emphasized that this part of the exhibition is dedicated above all to the message of forgiveness and the power of prayer Hence the large photographs of John Paul II's meeting with Ali Agca (December 27 whom the Pope forgave once he had recovered from the attack The presence of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima recalls John Paul II's conviction that it was Our Lady who saved him: One hand fired In this area of the exhibition there is also the rosary offered to the Holy Father by Sister Lucia also exercised the authority of the magisterium which is reflected in the fourteen columns that support the dome of the area of his magisterium where the covers of his fourteen encyclicals were placed In the center of the room is the replica of the Holy Door Once in March 1983 (and in April 1984) and in December 1999 (and in January 2001) On the front there are bas-reliefs of biblical scenes and the coats of arms of the 28 popes who opened the Holy Door The following inscription was placed on the back Do not be afraid In the showcases you can also see the souvenirs related to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 There we find the pectoral cross and the mitre of John Paul II and the plate with the coats of arms of all the popes who inaugurated the Holy Years Leaving the room the visitor passes through another door Its shape is reminiscent of the confessional grid - the symbol of the sacrament of confession In the apostolic journeys made during his pontificate John Paul II traveled more than 1.5 million kilometers In this part of the museum visitors can "travel" to the places where the Pope visited Here are kept souvenirs related to these trips A tapestry with the prayer "Our Father" in the language of the inuit(indigenous to the Arctic regions) the ebony bust of Christ from the Congo or the commemorative prints - the Marvel comic book with John Paul II on the cover (1982) and the album with the Pope's favorite songs (Mexico The side wall is covered with a 15-meter-long multimedia screen that allows one to view photographs and read excerpts of the Holy Father's speeches from his 104 apostolic journeys The "youth" area consists of walls made up of hundreds of colorful plaques that together form a large image of John Paul II surrounded by young people visitors can see themselves in a mirror on the opposite side and parts of the documentary films of the World Youth Days of which John Paul II was the initiator can be seen How not to smile here when listening to the joyful dialogue with the young people when the Holy Father joked from the papal window in Krakow The following showcases present the wooden boards with the logos of the World Youth Days (1986-2000) presented on the occasion of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 In the basement of the museum visitors are encouraged to reflect on the passing of life the Pope's words "This fleetingness has meaning..." (Roman Triptych when people try to maintain youth at any price and deny old age and suffering in their conscience the Pope reminds us that the passage of time has a profound meaning and is a path to fulfillment Here visitors can accompany John Paul II in his passage to the afterlife One could not miss the replica of the sundial the one Karol Wojtyła saw from the kitchen window and the original clock in the papal apartments stopped on the day of the Pope's death at 21:37 hours You can also see the Bible from which Sister Tobiana Sobótka read to the dying Holy Father the sister marked the sign of the cross in the place where he read and wrote the word "Amen" visitors are confronted with a singular question: "Why is John Paul II a saint On a large multimedia screen are dozens of photographs of different people among whom there are those who had the chance to meet the Pope in person and those who never experienced him the visitor learns the answer each of them gave to the above-mentioned question For younger visitors at the exit there is a small wooden mechanical theater that briefly tells the story of the life of the Polish Pope - from his birth in Wadowice to the glory of heaven Those who want to learn more about the life of the Holy Father his memoirs or simply get a souvenir of their visit to the Museum can visit the Museum's bookstore Four years ago in June 2018 the Museum of the Family House of the Holy Father John Paul II in Wadowice welcomed the "one millionth visitor" who came together with her husband to Wadowice from Kórnik little town near Poznan Monika undertook to be an ambassador of the Museum of the Family House of the Holy Father John Paul II in Wadowice There are many ambassadors like Monika all over the world More than 80% of the visitors to the birthplace of John Paul II are Polish The Museum has welcomed pilgrims from more than 100 countries The Museum also organizes scientific and educational activities Conferences and concerts are held every year on the occasion of papal anniversaries and children and young people can participate in museum workshops John Paul II has become a modern center of formation and catechesis The affection for John Paul II has succeeded in uniting very diverse institutions: ecclesiastical People of different religions and cultures feel moved and united wholeheartedly to this initiative Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers our group woke up early to drive from Kazimierz to the Auschwitz concentration camp in the town of Oswiecim was largely a Jewish shtetl prior to the holocaust local guide Elzbieta Pytlarz gave us a brief history of the town both before and after the war Elzbieta also emphasized that we should refer to the town by its proper name which the Germans used to refer to the town during the holocaust everyone in our class had learned about the camp and the unthinkable horrors that went on within it Auschwitz-Birkenau was the main mass extermination camp of the Nazis where over a million Jews were tortured and murdered along with tens of thousands of Polish Catholics While we all expected today to be a long and difficult day we also recognized the value in visiting Auschwitz and seeing the camp with our own eyes None of us knew how we would react to seeing the sites of murder and starvation for hundreds of thousands of Jews but we felt well prepared for our visit having learned the appropriate background knowledge throughout the semester you can see the infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign whose words mean “Work Sets You Free,” at the entrance to Auschwitz I approximately 1,300,000 people walked through this wrought iron gate and into Auschwitz—1,100,000 of them were Jews  I thought about how little the jews knew about the nature of Auschwitz and their grim futures The few jews who had heard the rumors of extermination within the camp generally did not believe what they had heard was true Andrew said that one of the hardest parts about visiting Auschwitz for him was walking back out of the gate and thinking about how many prisoners did not get to do so Auschwitz was the largest Nazi German concentration camp and death camp The Nazis deported 1,300,000 people to Auschwitz from all over: 1,000,000 of these people died in Auschwitz Approximately 90% of the victims were jews The SS murdered the majority of them in the gas chambers This top picture shows the layout of Auschwitz-Birkenau The bottom picture demonstrates just how far away the Nazis were able to take prisoners and send them to Auschwitz The diagrams above can be found at the beginning of one’s tour of Auschwitz and serve to remind visitors that the Nazi’s “final solution” was a truly a universal plan to kill everyone they deemed inferior When the construction of Auschwitz I reached completion in 1942 the complex had 28 two-story brick buildings The top picture shows a reconstructed version of one of these buildings The bottom picture depicts what the building’s interior would have looked like at the time Prisoners slept on tri-level wooden bunks—two prisoners generally slept on each level Extermination in Auschwitz started in 1942 The primary method was through gas chambers which prisoners willingly entered under the impression that they were going to take a shower the underground room was locked once all prisoners were inside and the poison Zyklon B was poured into the room through holes in the roof The photo collage above depicts the inside of the gas chamber and what the outside of the gas chamber looked like from above ground the hardest part of visiting Auschwitz was standing inside the gas chamber Because the gas chambers were all underground I felt very claustrophobic while inside and was truly relieved once I got to walk back up the stairs the SS authorities started having the prisoners build Auschwitz II which was 20 times larger than Auschwitz I was broken up into three different parts: Birkenau I The top picture above shows the entrance to Birkenau; the bottom picture The picture above shows a reconstruction of one of the cattle car wagons which brought prisoners from all over the continent to the camp between 60 and 80 people were squashed together without food and water for up to a week When the trains finally arrived at the camps everyone was told to leave their belongings on board The prisoners were then forced to disembark the train and gather on the railway platform for selection Many of my peers said that standing on the unloading ramp in Birkenau and walking past the reconstructed cattle car wagon was the hardest part of the visit to Auschwitz for them Dan explained that walking along the unloading ramp was challenging because it was the place where “the journey ended for so many and hundreds of thousands were separated from the family and friends they loved.” they had no idea what to expect and carried with them all sorts of belongings the SS officers would confiscate all suitcases and send them to Kanada I and II Nazi officers would go through the suitcases and send many of the belongings to the 3rd Reich in order to promote the German war effort While the Nazis attempted to burn Kanada I and Kanda II at the end of the war and erase the concrete evidence of their wrongdoings they were unable to destroy all of the prisoner’s belongings The picture above shows just some of the belongings of the prisoners of Auschwitz which were not destroyed Above is a picture of the selection process which the Nazis used to separate those they believed were fit to work from those who they believed were not and old who were considered unfit to work would be sent straight to the gas chambers Children were even sent to the gas chambers—approximately 200,000 Jewish children were gassed to death in Auschwitz was a peaceful process because everyone was assured they were simply lining up to take a shower In the context of the horrendous conditions which the prisoners endured on the cattle car wagons Because these gas chambers were all underground they were difficult to destroy completely at the end of the war Above is a picture of what remains of one of the main gas chambers in Birkenau Special prisoners who had been assigned the horrible job of Sonderkommandos worked in these gas chambers After the Zyklon B had killed everyone inside the gas chamber the Sonderkommandos would remove the bodies Sonderkommandos would often recognize their own family members and friends among the dead bodies the Nazis would also kill the Sonderkommandos because they had witnessed too much of the killing process several  Sonderkommandos survived the holocaust and were invaluable to recounting the Nazi operations within the camp Because Birkenau was primarily a death camp and not a work camp the majority of the mass killings took place in Birkenau While people could sometimes survive a year in Auschwitz I it was uncommon for an individual to live longer than three months in Birkenau The picture above shows the women’s barracks in Birkenau Following our tour of Auschwitz I and Birkenau is the only active synagogue in the town of Oscwiecim more than half the population of Oscwiecim was Jewish The Jewish community of the town was over 400 years old and there were more than 20 synagogues in Oswiecim The Oswiecim Synagogue was the first building restored to the Jewish community under the Polish government’s post-Communism law governing the restitution of Jewish communal property seized by German occupiers during WWII and retained by the post-war Communist government but the Nazis demolished its interior and used it to house munition during the war the synagogue was completely restored to its pre-war condition and the adjoining house was turned into a museum which depicts the life of Jews in pre-war Oswiecim The first picture above shows the interior of the synagogue as well as the torah it houses; the second picture above depicts a portion of the museum attached to the synagogue While the town of Oswiecim no longer has a Jewish population the synagogue is still active and often used for prayers by groups and individuals visiting Auschwitz Our class truly enjoyed visiting this synagogue and felt it was the perfect place to go following our visit to Auschwitz The synagogue reminded us that while the holocaust stole the lives of so many jews Many of my classmates even wished we had spent more time at the synagogue learning about torah from Professor Lieber who had the opportunity to show us the synagogue’s torah and point out some of its key features Wadowice was the birthplace of Pope John Paul II Because the town of Wadowice is close to the Auschwitz concentration camp almost the entire town’s Jewish population (more than 2,000) was exterminated in the camp relations between Catholicism and Judaism improved dramatically John Paul II spoke frequently about the Church’s relationship with the Jewish faith John Paul II was the first pope to visit Auschwitz in 1979 as well as the first pope to visit a synagogue After reading more about the extent to which John Paul II improved relations between jews and catholics who said that “never in history did anyone do as much for Christian-Jewish dialogue as Pope John Paul II.” our class took an extensive tour of the Pope’s family home very little of the tour focused on how the Pope improved relations between jews and catholics The picture below shows the basilica dedicated to Pope John Paul II in Wadowice and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker WADOWICE , Poland, April 28 (UPI) -- The southern Poland city of Wadowice, hometown of Saint John Paul II paid tribute to his canonization by filling the town square with thousands of people Sunday Karol Wojtyla was born in Wadowice in 1920 and began his studies in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University in 1938 He would become Krakow’s bishop before his election as pope in 1978 A museum dedicated to him and his works opened in Wadowice earlier this year “The man of today is so troubled and confused he is losing hope,” said Father Benedykt Belgrau in a homily during the Mass This great task was taken up by John Paul II.” Komorowski added his strongest memories of John Paul II are of “his first visit to Poland (after becoming Pope) during the communist era a relishing of freedom which existed in us The crowd attending the ceremony in Rome was estimated at between 800,000 and one million people The Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice was the parish in which Pope John Paul II grew up Poland – As pealing bells signaled the start of Mass in this small Polish village the Sunday morning congregation overflowed at the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary latecomers of all ages stood respectfully at the back of church or huddled just outside open doors The outdoor worshipers sang traditional Polish folk hymns with the same gusto as their sheltered counterparts – joining in sweet melodies pushed into the streets by a pipe organ Some knelt in silence on concrete and cobblestones bowing their heads in prayer at the consecration seemed to be an overwhelming spiritual presence A bright banner of the smiling pope hung at the basilica’s entrance A bronze statue showed the Polish pontiff raising his hand in blessing not far from the apartment building where he was born and the school where he was educated banners and other papal images adorned the basilica’s interior A bronze statue of Blessed John Paul II stands outside the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice the faithful crowded in front of the altar to venerate a relic of the late pope – gently kissing the sacred object and making the Sign of the Cross They later lingered in nearby cafes to enjoy cream cakes the same treats famously relished by Blessed Pope John Paul II family life and loyal church devotion isn’t that unusual in a small town like Wadowice where more than 60 percent of Catholics attend Mass every weekend and many families are active in the spiritual life taking their children to confession and practicing traditional devotions According to statistics reported by priests and confirmed by the Institute of Statistics of the Catholic Church only about 20 percent of Catholics attend weekly Mass in metropolises like Krakow and Warsaw 41.5 percent of Poland’s Catholics attended Mass on the day of the survey Poland’s Catholic Information Agency (KAI) reported last year that for the first time in years the number of students in the country’s diocesan seminaries dipped below 4,000 Thirty-two fewer seminarians began their first year of formation in diocesan seminaries in 2009 as had in 2008 Conference of Catholic Bishops reports 5,247 seminarians in the United States which has a population eight times as large as Poland’s 38.1 million.) There are also far fewer women joining religious communities 300 women entered pre-novitiate programs – down from 723 a decade ago much more people used to go to church and attend Mass during the Communist time,” said Marta Reimfuss Peter and Paul in Krakow and an English-speaking tour guide “They were praying for independence – for freedom I must admit that it’s changed because we have more and more freedom so we can decide if we go to church or not.” with the Polish people ranking among the most church-going in the world the Polish Church is facing a new challenge in the wake of the collapse of Communism: Western secularization religious practice was high as the faithful faced persecution for the practice of their faith a priest who serves at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in southern Poland said his much-loved shrine on “Jasna Gora” or “Bright Mountain” stands as a beacon of faith – even in the face of secularization The white-robed priest gave a personal tour of the shrine June 1 for Baltimore pilgrims who visited Eastern Europe on a pilgrimage led by Bishop Mitchell T “Pilgrims would like to experience something spiritual from their pilgrimage,” Father Stefanowicz said “to see other people who pray and look to be happy – do some penance and practice confessions and Communion.” Pauline Father Simon Stefanowicz explains the significance of the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa at the Polish shrine that houses the icon the priest passed Polish children who had recently received their first holy Communion They wore special white garments and said Marian prayers in front of the “Black Madonna” – the ancient icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus Hanging to the right of the icon was a stole ripped with bullet holes – worn by Blessed Pope John Paul II on the day he survived a 1981 assassination attempt While the shrine is a hub of Catholic spiritual devotion the priest acknowledged that the Polish Church at large has faced increasing outside pressures over 300 sects moved into Poland and even satanic worshipers,” he explained “(There were) bad and pornographic publications criticizing everybody and everything.” Nationalized companies were sold to foreign owners who fired many Polish employees the Polish people after those changes began to believe newspapers mass media and commercials as true advice for their common beliefs and some religious beliefs,” he said The European Union promoted permissiveness on issues such as sexual morality and downplayed or dismissed traditional values that had been the bedrock of Polish culture Poles who had traveled to other EU nations were influenced by a pervasive Western secularism “The EU pressed to change our strict rules against abortion birth control and same-sex marriages,” he said “The propaganda is to make Poland modern like the western countries if you would like to be rich and prosperous They do not mention the authority of Blessed John Paul II or Pope Benedict and their social teaching supporting family and marriage institutions.” Mary’s Church in Krakow dates to the 14th century professor at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Warsaw believes there has been a critical shift in the Polish Church since the fall of Communism The “Church of the People,” a national church that sheltered the democratic opposition and independent thought has become the “Church of Choice” – an individualized faith community There’s now a “more reflective and critical attitude” toward religion the Polish Church had great heroes such as Blessed Pope John Paul II Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and the martyred Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko – all of whom struggled for freedom Zowczak said that “Many have been shocked because of information about the cooperation of some priests another kind of shock was caused by cases of (clergy) pedophilia.” There were also uncertainties surrounding the restitution of church property and well-publicized cases of priests who left the church “This all strengthened anti-clerical sentiment and criticism of the clergy,” Zowczak explained “changed significantly under the influence of pop culture,” she said most of the (seminarians) come from cities and don’t know the religious tradition kept on the countryside,” she said adding that rural youths aren’t as attracted to priestly vocations because they have “new opportunities” open to them Although Polish Catholicism has changed significantly in the last 30 years Zowczak sees it continuing as a deeply engrained mark of the nation “Continuity can be seen mainly in older-age and socially marginalized groups who adhere to traditional national forms of religiosity,” she said “These political forms of religion become more radical in response to liberals who attempt to stigmatize them.” noted that priests in the villages continue to play a critical role in societal functioning “Priests in the villages have the most influence on people,” she explained “It’s a person who can discuss many problems We can see this in all the villages of a few thousand people This is a very important role that priests are playing in our life.” The baptismal font in which Pope John Paul II was baptized stands in his hometown church of the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice Walking the streets of Krakow not far from a church tower where a trumpeter hourly sounds a hymn to Mary called the “Hejnal,” Bishop Rozanski said he was impressed by the depth of faith of the Polish people Raised in a Polish family in East Baltimore Bishop Rozanski has twice visited Poland and serves as the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops’ chairman in the ongoing ecumenical dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the breakaway Polish National Church “When the Nazis occupied Poland and then when the Communists came the one thing that held the people and the culture together was the church,” he said “so it’s ingrained in the ethos of the Polish people because the church helped them through the most difficult of times and was a clear voice for them.” Faith is carried in the hearts of the Polish people “Faith is not something that’s foreign or alien to them,” Bishop Rozanski said As in Blessed Pope John Paul II’s hometown it is impossible to escape images of the much-loved pontiff elsewhere in Poland Florian Church erected a shrine to the newly beatified pope that showcases an oil painting portraying him as he looked as a young curate assigned to the parish Papal statues and banners can be found in big cities and small towns and there’s even a memorial plaque high in the Tatra Mountains where the pope loved to ski as a young man Florian Church in Krakow includes a shrine to the newly beatified Blessed John Paul II that portrays the pope as he looked when he was a young curate assigned to the parish Just as the pope helped inspire the Solidarity movement and emboldened the faith of the Polish people with his call to “be not afraid,” he continues to inspire today Father Stefanowicz said that’s especially true for young people “Many young people come to the church and to the sacraments,” he said “They like to participate in walking pilgrimages and all kind of religious retreats and spiritual oases following the example of Blessed John Paul II.” The Catholic Church has been a fixture in Poland since 966 producing more than 156 saints and blesseds “We are and will continue to be victorious in Christian tradition and heritage,” he said Click here for George Matysek’s video reports on Our Lady of Czestochowa devotion to Blessed Pope John Paul II and more Senior Writer George P. Matysek Jr. accompanied Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski on a pilgrimage to the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary May 23-June 2. This is the second of two reports on the pilgrimage. Read a report about the Infant of Prague statue and its connection to Baltimore here.  Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org Copyright © 2011 Catholic Review Media  Print Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media Catholic Media Assocation Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association The Associated Church Press © 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Open navigationClose navigationHome All the major chapters in the American story from Indigenous beginnings to the present day History from countries and communities across the globe Nazis occupied Krakow and closed the university forcing Wojtyla to seek work in a quarry and leaving him the sole surviving member of his family Although Wojtyla had been involved in the church his whole life it was not until 1942 that he began seminary training he returned to school at Jagiellonian to study theology He went on to complete two doctorates and became a professor of moral theology and social ethics he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow by Pope Pius XII where he spoke out for religious freedom while the church began the Second Vatican Council taking on the challenges of living and working as a Catholic priest in communist Eastern Europe Once asked if he feared retribution from communist leaders Wojtyla was quietly and slowly building a reputation as a powerful preacher and a man of both great intellect and charisma when Pope John Paul I died in 1978 after only a 34-day reign few suspected Wojtyla would be chosen to replace him the Sacred College of Cardinals chose the 58-year-old and he became the first-ever Slavic pope and the youngest to be chosen in 132 years Did you know the Vatican is the smallest nation-state in the world John Paul II’s papacy was marked by his firm and unwavering opposition to communism and war using the eight languages he spoke (Polish and Latin) and his well-known personal charm On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot in St Peter’s Square by a Turkish political extremist the pope famously visited his would-be assassin in prison where he had begun serving a life sentence and personally forgave him for his actions another unsuccessful attempt was made on the pope’s life this time by a fanatical priest who opposed the reforms of Vatican II Although it was not confirmed by the Vatican until 2003 many believe Pope John Paul II began suffering from Parkinson’s disease in the early 1990s He began to develop slurred speech and had difficulty walking though he continued to keep up a physically demanding travel schedule he was forced to delegate many of his official duties but still found the strength to speak to the faithful from a window at the Vatican the pope was hospitalized with complications from the flu A glimpse inside the famously secretive papal conclave. By: Jesse Greenspan Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on May 18th Scholars believe an arrest warrant was issued on May 18, 1593 for Christopher Marlowe, after fellow writer Thomas Kyd accused Marlowe of heresy. Playwright Thomas Kyd, whose Spanish Tragedie (also called Hieronomo) was influential in the development of the revenge tragedy, was arrested on May 15, 1593, and tortured on suspicion of treason. Told that […] On May 18, 1783, the first United Empire Loyalists, known to American Patriots as Tories, arrive in Canada to take refuge under the British crown in Parrtown, Saint John, Nova Scotia (now New Brunswick), Canada. The town was located on the Bay of Fundy just north of the border with what is now the state […] Abraham Lincoln, a one-time U.S. representative from Illinois, is nominated for the U.S. presidency by the Republican National Convention meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Hannibal Hamlin of Maine was nominated for the vice presidency. Lincoln, a Kentucky-born lawyer and former Whig representative to Congress, first gained national stature during his campaign against Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas […] On May 18, Union General Ulysses S. Grant surrounds Vicksburg, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River, in one of the most brilliant campaigns of the war. Beginning in the winter of 1862-63, Grant made several attempts to capture Vicksburg. In March, he marched his army down the west bank of the Mississippi, while […] The Kiowa Chief Satanta joins with other Native Americans to massacre a wagon train near the Red River in northeastern Texas. One of the leading chiefs of the Kiowa in the 1860s and 1870s, Satanta was a fearsome warrior but also a skilled orator and diplomat. He helped negotiate and signed treaties with the U.S. […] In a major victory for supporters of racial segregation, the U.S. Supreme Court rules seven to one that a Louisiana law providing for “equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races” on its railroad cars is constitutional. The high court held that as long as equal accommodations were provided, segregation was not discrimination […] Some six weeks after the United States formally entered the First World War, the U.S Congress passes the Selective Service Act on May 18, 1917, giving the U.S. president the power to draft soldiers. When he went before Congress on April 2, 1917, to deliver his war message, President Woodrow Wilson had pledged all of […] Aimee Semple McPherson, a nationally known evangelist, disappears from Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California. Police dispatched planes and ships in an effort to find her, but she was nowhere to be found. Authorities later discovered that radio announcer Kenneth Ormiston, a friend of McPherson, had also vanished. McPherson was the Billy Graham of her […] In the Rajasthan Desert in the municipality of Pokhran, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon, a fission bomb similar in explosive power to the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. The test fell on the traditional anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment, and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi received the message “Buddha has smiled” […] At 8:32 a.m. PDT on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcanic peak in southwestern Washington, suffers a massive eruption, killing 57 people and devastating some 210 square miles of wilderness. Called Louwala-Clough, or “the Smoking Mountain,” by Native Americans, Mount St. Helens is located in the Cascade Range and stood 9,680 feet before its […] 1980 On May 18, 1980, Ian Curtis, lead singer and lyricist of the British group Joy Division, hangs himself in his Cheshire kitchen. He was only 23 years old. Joy Division was one of four hugely important British post-punk bands that could trace its origins to a now-legendary performance by the Sex Pistols at the Lesser […] Facebook, the world’s largest social network, holds its initial public offering (IPO) and raises $16 billion. It was the largest technology IPO in American history to that date, and the third-largest IPO ever in the United States, after those of Visa and General Motors. At the time it went public, Facebook was valued at $104 […] Tradition dictates that cardinals' votes be burned for secrecy. These seven pontiffs left lasting legacies on the course of the Catholic Church—and world history. The tradition has practical and symbolic reasons. We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day Learn something new with key events in history from the American Revolution to pop culture you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States was born on 18 May 1920 in a modest apartment in Wadowice a small city about fifty kilometres from Krakow The Wojtyła family lived in this home from 1919 – 1938 that building on Kościelna Street is the John Paul II Family Home Museum which attracts approximately 250,000 visitors annually It was opened on 12 April 2010 by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage the Wadowice Township and the Archdiocese of Krakow the archivist of the John Paul II Family Home Museum Artur Oboza speaks more about the memorial Oboza explains that the Family Museum of John Paul II was created in 1984 but was reopened in 2014 It is now an ultramodern and multimedia museum where visitors can retrace the life of Pope Saint John Paul II through the artefacts it contains.  When asked how visitors can visit the museum amid the coronavirus pandemic Oboza invites everyone to the museum’s website He remarks that the museum itself is currently closed but will soon be reopened to its many visitors The process for the beatification of Emilia Kaczorowska and Karol Wojtyła senior began on 7 May in the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice Oboza points out that the museum contains objects such as a silver handbag photographs and documents that belong to John Paul’s parents It also contains a gold medallion that was probably a wedding gift from the saint’s father to his wife at their marriage in 1906 in Cracow The archivist encourages everyone to visit the Museum’s website where further information can be found Thank you for reading our article. 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week Poland (AP) ― Authorities say that a new museum telling the life story of Polish-born Pope John Paul II will open this week The multimedia museum will open Wednesday in the southern city of Wadowice at the house where the pope was born Karol Wojtyla on May 18 He is to be canonized in a Vatican ceremony on April 27 Dariusz Ras said Monday the museum documents John Paul’s life from birth to the moment when he was elected pope in 1978 and his 26-year papacy family documents and also the gun which a wound-be assassin use in an attack on the pope in 1981 Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo the presidential candidate of South Korea’s main liberal Democratic Party holds a lead in a potential three-way race for the country’s next election 15% of Korean wage workers have flexible work schedules: data Who in conservative bloc will embrace Han Duck-soo candidacy Han Duck-soo declares presidential bid pledging constitutional reform People Power Party kicks off 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Published continuously since 1907.AccessibilityPrivacy Policy Poland (CNS) – The designer of a new multimedia museum opened in St John Paul II’s family home said he hoped previously unseen footage of the saint as a young priest would encourage people “to change their lives” rather than “just heaping praise” on the Polish pope “Nowhere can really compare with the pope’s family home and we expect people of all ages and backgrounds to be touched by what they see here,” Jaroslaw Klaput told Catholic News Service April 26 “Virtually everything about John Paul II is already known from the great encyclicals he issued as head of the church back to the cream cakes he enjoyed as a teenager But we hope to break through some stereotypes and reveal him in a fuller John Paul was born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice on May 18 1920 and lived in the family house until age 18 when he moved to Krakow with his widowed father to study at the Jagiellonian University created over eight years with Polish government and European Union funding at a cost of $8 million was dedicated in early April by the Vatican’s nuncio The museum includes the Wojtyla family living room with the military uniform and boots belonging to the pope’s father and his mother’s handbag purchased for the Krakow Archdiocese in the 1990s Klaput said the museum would share some objects with permanent exhibitions planned in Krakow and Warsaw and would form part of the developing devotion to the new saint “Visitors can touch and experience crucial elements of the pope’s life here and this should make it an essential point on the pilgrim trail,” he said have regretted we needed to alter some of the building’s layout But they all agree its spirit and character have been preserved.” Exhibits include the silver 9 mm Browning Hi Power pistol with which Turkish assassin Mehmet Ali Agca shot St 1981 and the bloodstained suit of a papal bodyguard who caught the pope as he fell The museum includes the replica of a Wadowice street from the 1920s John Paul’s 2005 funeral and thousands of petitions in various languages Your email will be used to send you The Tablet newsletter. 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Website by 345 Design ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " and Diane De Bernardo of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church tour the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary July 25 in Wadowice with other World Youth Day pilgrims from the Diocese of Brooklyn took a side trip to Ireland and Italy before heading to Poland for World Youth Day Maria Negrete of Brooklyn poses in front of a statue of St John Paul II outside the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice Salvatore Tinervia and other Brooklyn pilgrims prepare for journey at Kennedy Airport prays near the site of gas chambers during a July 25 visit to the Birkenau Nazi concentration camp in Oswiecim Sangbin Lee and Przemyslaw Bak tour Warsaw prior to departing for Krakow You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed received the sacrament of baptism at the baptismal font in the Chapel of the Holy Family in the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice “The day of baptism should be celebrated no less than the day of birth” – he said as Pope “With a deep reverence I kiss the threshold of the house of God – the parish church of Wadowice – and in it the baptismal font at which I was implanted in Christ and received into the community of His Church” – said Pope John Paul II on June 16 The celebration of the 100th anniversary of John Paul II’s baptism is this year combined with the 100th anniversary of his birth Karol Wojtyła was born on 18 May 1920 in his family home in Wadowice at 5 p.m. while the May devotion was held in the parish church Karol Wojtyła spent the first eighteen years of his life in Wadowice and priesthood began” – said Pope John Paul II in 1999 but also in Cracow and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – places most connected with Karol Wojtyła – that this year’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Polish Pope took place with the participation of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland This anniversary was also commemorated by Pope Francis when he celebrated the Eucharist at the tomb of St John Paul II in the Vatican Basilica on his birthday Benedict XVI issued a special letter on this occasion emphasizing that John Paul II always indicated God’s mercy The 100th anniversary of the birth of John Paul II was also celebrated with the international social media campaign #ThankYouJohnPaul2 But this is not the end of the anniversary events the John Paul II Memorial Concert will take place in which 40 artists from all over the world will present masterpieces of classical and sacred music The event was originally intended to take place at the Lincoln Center in New York it has been realized online and will be available at www.jp2concert.com The concert was held under the patronage of the President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference Pope Francis repeatedly stressed the value and importance of baptism in the life of a Christian “Baptismal promises must be repeated almost every day so that our consciousness can be permeated by the presence of Christ” – he said during the General Audience on April 11 “Baptism endows the child with the strength of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit that will defend and assist each of them throughout life” – he stressed on this year’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord Press Office of the Polish Bishops’ Conference officially announced the year of Saint John Paul II will be full of memories and celebrations dedicated to the Great National and his family Wadowice will again become the heart of events The culmination of the ceremony will be World Memorial Days of John Paul II These will last from 16 to 24 May and gather crowds of believers from Wadowice MAY 16 – INAUGURATION OF MEMORY DAYS We planned a great inauguration of  Memorial Days under the slogan „Reborn” on Saturday author of books and audiobooks will speak from the outdoor stage on the market square in Wadowice His motto is: „To preach the Gospel to everyone everywhere and in all ways.” He speaks at thousands of stadiums Father Adam will lead worship and will be accompanied by the OWCA music band we invite you to a solemn thanksgiving Mass in the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary the greatest stars of Polish pop music will perform in the concert dedicated to the Holy Memory co-organized by the Polish Television and the Museum of the Family Home of the Holy Father John Paul II MAY 18 – KAROL WOJTYŁA’S BIRTHDAY in a tenement house at  Kościelna Steet in Wadowice the residents of Wadowice celebrate the anniversary of their Patron’s birthday John Paull II’s the Nationwide School Rally  has been organized for 20 years In the morning around 8.30 will set off the march of children and young people with banners 2 in Wadowice to  John Paul II’s Square The solemn session of the Town Council convened by our local government will culminate in the signing of a long-planned cooperation agreement with Fatima (Ourem Municipality which will join our international partners Binding Wadowice with Fatima on the hundredth anniversary of the birth of John Paul II is a symbolic undertaking of his spiritual will residents and guests will meet at the solemn outdoor Holy Mass We invited the bishop of Cracow Janusz Mastalski to chair the Eucharist film screenings and Feast of Wadowice with a highlander note with the participation of Country Housewife Clubs Another strong point of the day will be the great concert „Firemen of St To John Paul II in homage „performed by brass bands from all over Poland The concert will end with a common singing as part of the nationwide campaign of the John Paul II Family Home Museum „All Poland is Singing a Barge” The event will culminate in the ceremonial release 100 pigeons symbolizing peace and reconciliation by the Polish Association of Pigeon Breeders Branch of Wadowice The next days will be filled with sporting and cultural events for children and youth They refer to the youthful years of Karol Wojtyła we planned a trip to Groń of John Paul II while Wednesday and Thursday are the days planned for the implementation of sports competitions for young people organized together with the MKS Skawa Wadowice sports club There will be a great football tournament and athletics championships The program will include games and activities On Friday evening we invite you to an outdoor cinema dedicated to our patron „Wadowice celebrates football on the pitch on the pitch 100th anniversary” is a nationwide tournament organized by the PUKS Karol Wadowice club John Paul II Square will transform into a Greek agora where the performance of „Antigone” will be presented by the JaNowy Teatr from Andrychów – a theater group based on Christian values Sophocles’s drama was particularly close to Karol Wojtyla who in his youth played the role of Hajmon – Antigone’s fiance when during his pilgrimage to Poland he visited his home town of Wadowice quoting extensive fragments from memory and listing the names of the actors who played with him on stage Also the National Bank of Poland has planned a special celebration of the jubilee year 2020 On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Paul II three collector coins will be issued: gold and two silver May 24 with the 6th edition of the Wadowicki Race Athletes from all over Poland will once again meet in Wadowice to try their hand at running along the beautiful routes of the Papal Town and finally try traditional cream The above information is the preliminary plan of the year-long celebrations and „World Memorial Days of St. John Paul II „. The organizer reserves the right to change. You find the update at www.wadowice.pl Polish food processing group Maspex Wadowice got the green light from the Romanian Competition Council for which the values has not been made public It includes the acquisition of the three bottling facilities Rio Bucovina operates as well as the Bucovina brand The company has a 14 percent share of the Romanian bottled water market, according to AC Nielsen data. At the time of the announcement, Krzysztof Pawiński, the president of the board of directors of Maspex Wadowice, stated that bottled water consumption is still at a very low level in Romania compared to other European markets and this creates further growth opportunities. instant drinks and snack brands in Romania including Tymbark and La Festa and has been present locally since 1996 Romania is the second most important market after Poland for Maspex Wadowice in terms of sales Rio Bucovina was founded in 2006 with 100 percent private Romanian capital. We use cookies for keeping our website reliable and secure providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used under the motto “I Forgive You,” features a replica of the room at the Gemelli clinic in Rome where the Polish-born pope was treated after an assassination attempt on his life 40 years ago The exhibits include a hospital bed with a mattress and linen bearing the clinic’s coat-of-arms a glass cabinet for medicines and two chairs Już od dziś w Muzeum Dom Rodzinny Ojca Świętego Jana Pawła II zobaczyć można wystawę czasową "Przebaczam" Visitors can also see fragments of a previously unseen documentary film with the participation of the pope’s personal doctor Renato Buzzonetti The museum says on its website that the exhibits are a silent testimony to the pope’s suffering as well as his devotion to prayer and forgiveness in a message recorded from his hospital bed asked his followers to pray for “my brother” who shot him and said he had “sincerely forgiven" the Turkish assassin Ali Agca 13 maja serdecznie zapraszamy na uroczystości dziękczynne 40 The core exhibition at the Wadowice museum contains the gun from which Ali Agca fired at the pope and the blood-stained suit of the pontiff’s bodyguard The attempt on the pope’s life took place on May 13 Polish food company Maspex Wadowice has signed an agreement to take over Romanian water bottler Rio Bucovina The deal is subject to the approval of the Romanian Competition Council The value of the deal has not been made public The company presently has a 10 percent share of the Romanian bottled water market Maspex Wadowice owns several juice, instant drinks and snack brands in Romania including Tymbark and La Festa and has present locally since 1996. “We haven’t been present so far on the bottled water market and this is a growing segment It presently represents 50 percent of the non-alcoholic market compared to the soft drinks category which represents only 10 percent The Bucovina brand increases our competitiveness significantly and will consolidate our position locally,” said Krzysztof Pawiński the president of the board of directors of Maspex Wadowice He added that bottled water consumption is still at a very low level in Romania compared to other European market and this creates further growth opportunities Simona Bazavan The Vatican’s announcement that Pope John Paul II is to be beatified at a ceremony in May has revived memories for an old Polish school classmate of the young Karol Wojtyla I thank God for giving me the opportunity to have lived alongside a saint,” said 90-year-old Eugeniusz Mroz one of three surviving students who went to school with the future Pope in Wadowice who succeeded the highly-popular Pope John Paul II after his death in 2005 will beatify him on May 1 in a ceremony that will formally place him one step from sainthood recalled the young Wojtyla’s resourcefulness and quick wit in a recent interview no one thought he would wear a cassock one day but we weren’t really surprised when he did.” “He was without a doubt one of the best students in our class but he never bragged,” says Mr Mroz from behind a desk covered with photographs from his schooldays well over half a century ago he waited to hand it in until everyone had finished so that no one would feel bad,” adds Mr Mroz who graduated high school with the future pope in 1938 the name of a defender at the Pogonia Lviv football club but the theatre was his greatest passion,” he added three girls who attended the girls college and acted in plays with him we pointed out that his sock had a hole in it At the intermission he painted his heel with ink to hide the hole.” something which later stood the media-savvy pope in good stead blinded the local priest to his future vocation he liked Karol’s welcoming speech and asked our priest if the young Wojtyla wanted to enter the seminary this same Cardinal Sapieha welcomed him to the seminary in Krakow,” Mr Mroz recounts of Karol Wojtyla’s first steps towards a life in the Church It was Karol who ran for a priest to give him the last rites and it was Karol who had the idea to organise a collection of money for his widow and six children There was holy water on the right at the door of their house they always made the sign of the cross when leaving home Karol always dropped in at church to pray,” says Mr Mroz who at the time was one of the Wojtylas’ closest neighbours Then we both would run out to play soccer next to the church The priest used to shoo us away for fear we would break a window.” please register for free or log in to your account the Visegrad Group foreign ministers will meet in Wadowice It will be the first meeting at this level to be held as part of the Polish presidency of the V4 The summit will be hosted by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacek Czaputowicz The minister will present the main goals of the rotating one-year presidency  During the summit the top diplomats will discuss the Multiannual Financial Framework German presidency of the Council of the European Union cooperation with the EU’s eastern partners transatlantic cooperation and EU-China relations The plenary talks of foreign ministers of Poland Slovakia and Hungary will be held at the Wadowice town hall Ivan Korčok and Péter Szijjártó will lay flowers at the monument to John Paul II They will also visit the Wadowice basilica and the family home of John Paul II