Poland’s president marks anniversary of papal election

A commemorative service honouring the late Polish-born Pope John Paul II was due to be held at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Duda told reporters after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday that he and the current head of the Roman Catholic Church reminisced about the Polish-born pontiff, who died in 2005 after a pontificate lasting almost 27 years.

The president said he drew attention to Pope John Paul II’s message on Poland in the European bloc, Poland’s IAR news agency reported.

He said: “John Paul II told [Poles] to join the European Union but to infuse the bloc with [Polish] customs, culture, faith and all that stems from the 1,000-year-old Christian tradition, which forged [Poland] as a nation and allowed [Poles] to withstand the nation’s tumultuous history.”

Duda added that the continent’s Christian legacy was “something that Europe has largely abandoned.”

Later on Tuesday, Duda is expected to pay a visit to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme, the world’s largest food aid organisation.

(aba/vb)

Source: IAR