Pope holds mass at Polish shrine
CZESTOCHOWA, Poland — Pope Francis, visiting a shrine cherished by Poles, praised native son St. John Paul II on Thursday and honoured the countless “ordinary yet remarkable people” in Poland who held firm to their Catholic faith throughout adversity in the former Communist nation.
The Argentine pontiff, who had never set foot in eastern Europe before this week’s five-day pilgrimage to Poland, gazed in apparent awe for several minutes as he studied the Jasna Gora monastery shrine’s iconic image of the Black Madonna. The faces of Mary and Baby Jesus in the icon — an object of veneration starting in the 14th century — are blackened by centuries of varnish and candle soot.
A silver screen was raised slowly and dramatically to unveil the image as Francis stood silently and then prayed.
Then, during an outdoor mass in the southern city of Czestochowa before a crowd that organizers put at 600,000, Francis lavished praise on Poland’s legacy of steadfast devotion as he urged Poles to hold fast to their faith.
As the 79-year-old Pope walked up to the altar he tripped and fell, but quickly rose, helped by priests, and went on to deliver a long homily. Church officials said Francis was not hurt and did not complain afterward.
The mass was held in celebration of this year’s 1,050th anniversary of Poland’s acceptance of Catholicism. Polish President Andrzej Duda and other leaders were among those attending the mass.
“Our minds turn to so many sons and daughters of your own people, like the martyrs who made the defenceless power of the Gospel shine forth, like those ordinary yet remarkable people who bore witness to the Lord’s love amid great trials,” Francis said in his homily, speaking in Italian and pausing for a priest to translate his words into Polish.
Francis urged Poles to stay united even as their nation is divided over the issue of refugees and migrants, especially those who aren’t Christians. He prayed that Poles would have “the desire to leave behind all past wrongs and wounds, and to build fellowship for all, without ever yielding to the temptation to withdraw or to domineer.”
Francis’ visit to Poland centres on Catholic Youth Day, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of participants.