“Francis has been dragged through the mud because of his position on refugees”, he said. “World Youth Day is a unique way to deepen your faith”, it also says, “and grow closer to Christ, by means of prayer and the sacraments, together with thousands of other young people who share your interests and ambitions”.
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The attempted assassination of pope John Paul II by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in 1981 demonstrated that pontiffs are as vulnerable to assassins as politicians. It comes as Pope Francis has called for the church to recognize LGBT rights and take action on climate change, popular issues among young people.
Poland remains one of Europe’s most Catholic and conservative nations, with about 90 percent of citizens declaring allegiance to the Church.
As head of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis is an important potential target.
“Will Francis be able to inspire the youth the way John Paul did?”
“They say it was a blessed experience, that’s why I’m here”.
The prime minister also said that the visit of Pope Francis to Poland later this week could be on a scale similar to that of the visit of John Paul II in 1979.
“A bishop in Poland – he’s a god”, he adds.
In a message to the conference promoted by the Italian and Polish environment ministries, foundations and the WYD local organising committee, the pope said the institutions must be “sensitised so that the economic system is not oriented exclusively towards the consumption of natural resources and human beings, but promotes the full realisation of every person and authentic development”.
Most of Poland’s refugees come from Russia, Ukraine and other neighbors in the former Soviet Union, not from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or Africa, major sources for people trying to gain European Union protection.
The celebratory atmosphere of the event will return despite events in France, he said.
“The Church has forged an alliance with the government because, using law, it can exert more control”, said Makowski.
A German-Iranian 18-year-old that police said was obsessed with mass-shootings killed nine people, mostly teens, in a shopping mall shooting spree in Munich on Friday, while a suicide bomber killed at least 80 people during a peaceful demonstration in Kabul on Saturday.
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As the event kicks off, Hannah Glick, a new attendee this year, and Fr. Thomas Esposito, a veteran of World Youth Day, provided some thought and insight.
