Krakow, Poland, Jul 27, 2016 / 03:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Located just southeast of Krakow, the Wieliczka salt mine is famous for many things – most notably its underground chapels, made entirely out of rock salt. In fact, the chapels are so stu... Read more

Krakow, Poland, Jul 26, 2016 / 03:43 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In response to the murder of Father Jacques Hamel by believed Islamic State sympathizers, the French bishops have designated Sunday, July 31, as a Day of Fasting. Archbishop Georges Pontier of ... Read more

Krakow, Poland, Jul 26, 2016 / 11:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz’s welcome to World Youth Day pilgrims on Tuesday had a stirring reminder: it is up to them to ensure that the Gospel of Jesus Christ reaches the world. “Carry the flame of your faith and ignite with it other flames, so that human hearts will beat to the rhythm of the Heart of Christ, which is ‘a flaming fire of love’,” Cardinal Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow, said in his homily for the July 26 opening Mass of World Youth Day at the city's Blonia Park. “May the flame of love engulf our world and rid it of egoism, violence and injustice, so that a civilization of good, reconciliation, love and peace will be strengthened on our earth.” Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, including Pope Francis, are expected in Krakow for the global gathering of Catholic youth. St. John Paul II was archbishop of the city before becoming Pope in 1978. The cardinal served as a close aide to the Pope. Cardinal Dziwisz reflected on what brought all the World Youth Day pilgrims together. “We are all here because Christ has gathered us. He is the light of the world,” he said. “Only He – Jesus Christ – is able to satisfy the deepest desires of the human heart,” he added. “It is He who has led us here. He is present among us. He is accompanying us like He accompanied His disciples headed for Emmaus. Let us entrust Him in these days our matters, fears and hopes.” The cardinal urged the faithful to listen – and respond – to Christ's questions about love, as he asked St. Peter after the Resurrection. Cardinal Dziwisz said that “meeting with Jesus, we simultaneously realize that we all make up a great community – the Church – which surpasses the boundaries established by people and which divide people.” “We are all God's children, redeemed by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ,” the cardinal continued. “Experiencing the universal Church is a great experience associated with World Youth Day. The image of the Church depends on us – on our faith and sanctity. It is up to us to ensure that the Gospel reaches those who have not yet heard about Christ or have not learnt enough about Him.” Cardinal Dziwisz challenged the pilgrims to share with each other “what is most valuable.” “Let us share our faith, our experiences, our hopes. My dear young friends, may these days be an opportunity to form your hearts and minds,” he said. He encouraged them to listen to bishops’ catecheses and to Pope Francis, and to participate in the liturgy wholeheartedly. “Experience the merciful love of the Lord in the sacrament of reconciliation. Discover also the churches of Krakow, the wealth of the culture of this city, as well as the hospitality of its inhabitants and of those of neighboring towns, where we will find rest after a day’s rigors,” he urged. “Krakow is alive with the mystery of Divine Mercy,” he said, referring to the visions and devotion of St. Faustina Kowalska, which were popularized by St. John Paul II. The cardinal also reflected on the diverse backgrounds of pilgrims, who come from “every nation under heaven.” “We come from such parts of the world where people live in peace, where families are communities of love and life and where young people can pursue their dreams,” he said. “But among us are also young people from countries whose people are suffering due to wars and other kinds of conflicts, where children are starving to death and where Christians are brutally persecuted. Among us are young pilgrims from parts of the world that are ruled by violence and blind terrorism, and where authorities usurp power over man and nations, following insane ideologies.” “We bring to this meeting with Jesus during these days our personal experiences of living the Gospel in our difficult world,” Cardinal Dziwisz said. “We can face the challenges of the modern world, in which man chooses between faith and disbelief, good and evil, love and its rejection.” He encouraged them to be messengers of good news, like St. John Paul II. They should return to their communities carrying “the spark of mercy” and remind everyone of the Beatitude, “blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” “Carry the good news about Jesus Christ to the world,” his homily concluded. Read more

Krakow, Poland, Jul 26, 2016 / 11:05 am (CNA).- Many special moments are anticipated during Pope Francis' visit to Poland this week for World Youth Day, especially considering his visit to Auschwitz and his meeting with 10 Holocaust survivors. However one thing that could easily slip through the cracks in the lead-up, but will likely be a major part of what shapes the trip, are his evening dialogues with youth from the balcony of the Bishop’s Palace. Every night when he comes back to Krakow after the day’s activities, Pope Francis will appear on the palace balcony to address youth gathered below. Given Francis’ spontaneous nature and the personal connection he forms when engaging with groups in more intimate settings, the off-the-cuff conversations will likely be what sets the tone for the trip, more so than his scheduled activities. The tradition was initiated by St. John Paul II, who spoke to youth from the balcony every time he visited his homeland as Pope. John Paul II, who was originally from Wadowice, Poland, moved to the Bishop’s Palace in Krakow Aug. 10, 1944, while studying at the Archdiocese of Krakow’s clandestine seminary, forced to go underground when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during the Second World War. He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha in the archbishop’s private chapel at the palace, and he stayed there when he was elected bishop of the local metropolitan diocese in 1958. Then-cardinal Wojtyla later resided in the palace as the Archbishop of Krakow until his Oct. 16, 1978, election as the Bishop of Rome. As Pope, St. John Paul II returned to Poland nine times in 1979, 1983, 1987, twice in 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2002. During each of his pilgrimages to Krakow, the Polish Pope would stay at the Bishop’s Palace, and would come out on the balcony each night to greet and speak with youth gathered below. The famous window from which he spoke is located just above the entrance to the building. A statue of the St. John Paul II was gifted to the diocese in 1980 and now stands in the courtyard below. His evening chats with Polish youth came to define John Paul’s visits to Krakow, and many who weren’t necessarily young would also come out to hear what the Vicar of Christ had to say. The taxi driver on the way into Krakow said that as a child, he used to attend the evening balcony talks, and that the discussions formed a unique, special environment. He noted that John Paul would frequently tell jokes and jest with the youth, creating a casual, open environment. Benedict XVI also imitated the gesture during his visit to Poland in 2006, and now Pope Francis will do the same during WYD, continuing the legacy of the great Polish Pope, which is still blatantly alive and thriving throughout the country. St. John Paul II established World Youth Day in 1985; the first event was held in Rome in 1986. Since then it has occurred in various cities throughout the world, typically every three years. World Youth Day in Krakow officially kicks off July 25 and lasts through July 31, with Pope Francis arriving July 27. It will be Pope Francis’ second World Youth Day during his pontificate. Other highlights to watch out for will be his gestures, since he speaks louder with his actions than his words. Especially noteworthy will be his actions during his visit to Auschwitz, where he will sit in silence at Block 11, and will meet with 10 Holocaust survivors as well as 25 “Righteous Among the Nations.” Francis will likely also make a lot of references to his predecessor St. John Paul II, given the fact that he is not only in the great Saint’s homeland, but also given the fact that the Polish Pope is still so widely recognized and revered in Polish society, even for those who aren’t necessarily religious. Apart from these highlights, the rest should be a fairly normal WYD scene. However, while Francis’ schedule is packed with different events, we can’t leave out the possibility of at least a few papal surprises. Read more

Krakow, Poland, Jul 26, 2016 / 06:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As World Youth Day approaches, the Archbishop of Krakow recently spoke with EWTN Deutschland about the “city of saints” hosting the gathering, and about its most famous son – St. John Paul II. “You ask me where I have seen [John Paul II's] holiness. Well, we know that he was a very talented man – a writer, a poet, a speaker, an actor; but most of all, a great pray-er,” Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz told EWTN's Robert Rauhut. Cardinal Dziwisz was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Krakow in 1963 by St. John Paul II, who was then an auxiliary bishop of the city. Wojtyla was appointed archbishop the following year, and then-Fr. Dziwisz became his secretary soon thereafter – a role in which he served until the Pope's death in 2005. He said St. John Paul II “had already discovered the importance of prayer as a boy back in Wadowice. He organized his whole life in a way such that it had a great reference to God; such that his life became a prayer to the Lord himself … He did not split his time between work, sports, and prayer … Everything he did served the Lord's will, in some way.” “He granted audiences, he held different meetings, but the people who were close to him knew he was praying even then.” The cardinal reflected that when one of the Pope's staff would tell him of a difficult situation to which they couldn't find a solution, St. John Paul II would reply, “I do not see one either, because we have not yet prayed enough … Let us introduce this matter to the Lord: a solution will then arise in some way; the issue will solve itself, always through prayer.” St. John Paul II's prayerfulness was “with him from the time he was a child,” Cardinal Dziwisz reflected. “His father played a great role for that matter. He taught him the prayer to the Holy Spirit, which accompanied him his whole life. Even on his last Saturday, on the day he died, he recited this prayer to the Holy Spirit.” He added that St. John Paul II was also very devoted to the Virgin Mary and the rosary: “for him that was always a Christological prayer: contemplation of the work of redemption with the Mother of God.” The late Pope spent time in Eucharistic adoration daily, and made a Holy Hour every Thursday. Cardinal Dziwisz said St. John Paul II “encouraged us to compensate the time that the Apostles overslept” during Christ's agony in the garden. St. John Paul II “saw the positive in everyone,” which Cardinal Dziwisz attributed to “his theology – the picture of God in men, this appreciation towards everyone.” The saint's legacy is kept alive particularly through his magisterium, the cardinal said, calling it “a point of reference in many areas,” especially the family: “He has left us a great doctrine in that field.” As an exemplar he mentioned Familiaris consortio, St. John Paul II's 1981 apostolic exhortation on the role of the Christian family in the modern world, noting that Pope Francis' own recent exhortation on the family “quotes John Paul II many times.” Cardinal Dziwisz also reflected on the central role that the Church played in the development of Poland as a nation – the country is celebrating the 1050th anniversary of its conversion this year. “Without a doubt, the Church played an important role in the first days of the Polish state and it still is significant for our people today,” he said. Krakow became the Polish capital in 1038, and was then also deemed the “center of culture, Christianity and religiosity in Poland.” One of its early bishops, St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów, can be called the “conscience of the nation,” Cardinal Dziwisz said, noting that he was martyred “defending human rights and defending the freedom of conscience.” St. Stanislaus “was the first to show that the Church is to serve the people and that it should do so in an autonomous way, not serving on behalf of the state, but with it … he demonstrated the sovereignty of Church authority from the state authority. That is how the church in Poland was upheld back then and is maintained today. Of course, both institutions cooperate for the common good, but in general, we deal with two independent orders.” Cardinal Dziwisz affirmed that Krakow “is indeed a 'city of saints'. No further place –except for Rome – has as many saints as Krakow. Here, we have many churches, and the quantity of churches is an expression of how religious the city is. Almost every church contains a grave of a saint. It has been like that all the time and we have numerous contemporary saints.” He noted St. Albert Chmielowski, who founded religious congregations and died in 1916, and who “was a role model for John Paul II.” St. John Paul II's pride in his native Poland showed a healthy and postive patriotism, Cardinal Dziwisz reflected. “He very strongly underlined the difference between 'nationalism' and 'patriotism'”, he explained. “Nationalism is negative. By contrast, patriotism is positively connotated; it is something you have to develop. Patriotism entails a religious aspect. He was indeed a patriot of Poland … he always appreciated the culture of Poland, the Polish Church, of which I derive from, and the Polish people. He saw their great values. Hence, he tried hard: he was familiar with the European culture and its values. He was of the opinion that both the west and the east frame contemporary Europe.” Cardinal Dziwisz believes St. John Paul II supported a united European community, albeit one based on Christian values. “Without values, without the Christian culture on which Europe has evolved, the community would not be able to survive. So we have to return to those values, to his prophetic idea. If we will not, the already unstable community will suffer from greater problems and a crisis.” St. John Paul II's prophetic vision of Europe is needed today, Cardinal Dziwisz said: “It is the job of contemporary people, contemporary Europeans. It is up to the youth who make a pilgrimage to Krakow, to celebrate their faith here, their belonging to God, to Christ, and to the community of Christian culture.” The late Pope developed a close friendship with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who succeeded him as Benedict XVI, the Krakow archbishop then explained. “He cherished Cardinal Ratzinger a lot, whom he wanted to have on his side right from the beginning of his pontificate ... He knew right from the start that Cardinal Ratzinger was necessary to keep clear the matters of theology, particularly the disputable ones or uncertainties. He was convinced of him due to his enormous intellectual skills, his educational background, his abilities and skills for dialogue … they were a team, connected in mutual trust, in their dedication to work. They appreciated each other, so what they had was certainly something you might call a mutual understanding and a friendship.” Krakow is particulary important as “the capital of mercy,” its archbishop added. It was here that St. Faustina Kowalska, to whom the Divine Mercy devotion was revealed, spent her last years. “Next to her as an apostle of divine mercy, receiving the message on behalf of the whole world, God has provided for a second apostle to realize this message,” he said, indicating St. John Paul II. “The idea of Divine Mercy has always been present in some way in his magisterium, his documents, his homilies and speeches.” From Krakow “a spark will arise,” Cardinal Dziwisz said, “a spark of Divine Mercy, just as Sister Faustina once wrote.” “That spark will assist to deepen the religious life in the world. We do have the hope that the young people will familiarize themselves with this dispatch, this message of Divine Mercy here, and that they will bring it to all countries … because young people from almost 200 different countries will come to Krakow” for World Youth Day, he said. “It is due to providence that the youth will celebrate a festival of mercy this year here in Krakow,” Cardinal Dziwisz said. “The Lord wants to show us something, he wants to show us that this is the way to the future, the way of the Church, the way of societies… However, mercy means reversal and conversion, as well. We see that many people come to confess: they are keen to reconcile with God, but also with other people. Mercy – that is God's love to the people, who are also obliged to communicate and to share love and mercy. In this context works of mercy develop.” He gave as an example the location of the World Youth Day events, saying that “anticipating the Holy Father's intention, two houses have been built there, already! There is the house of bread, in which the poor are welcome to find shelter. It also has medicine for the sick; medical consultation or rehabilitation is conducted there. So we will not only celebrate and be happy there, but something will stay there permanently. We are already preparing cars and ambulances which will drive to Syria. The issue is not simply to announce mercy, but to live it by taking actions.” Cardinal Dziwisz also noted the need for catechizing the youth. Good catechesis “is always needed, because ignorance is dangerous. Once the human being is afraid or does not know what to do next, he or she is most likely to be subjected to all different kinds of tendencies” that they need to be guarded against. “The next point is to be with society, without merging with politics. We want to achieve a positive cooperation, but we also want to stay independent,” he said. “Let us go back to Stanislaus, and be open for everyone, not shutting ourselves off to any political group. That will brings back the people's trust in us. That way we ensure that everyone can feel at home in the Church. No one will be locked out.” “Indeed, the task is indeed not easy; but living in a democracy, we have to understand to be independent concerning our service to society and the Church.” Read more