Months of diplomatic and logistical preparations lay behind the arrival of the Pope in Poland this week, drawing inevitable comparisons with one of his predecessors, John Paul II.
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Pope Francis gestures as he addresses the faithful during World Youth Days at Blonia Park in Krakow, Poland July 28, 2016.
Pope Francis has taken a ride with disabled young people through the heart of Krakow in an electric tram – underlining his mission to fight climate change and encouraging more concern for the disadvantaged.
When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires in his native Argentina, Francis rode public transport to inspire humility within the church hierarchy.
With security high, a warning was repeated in English and Polish over loudspeakers warning people not to leave backpacks or other items unattended.
During the pep rally, people sang and danced to lively tunes, waving flags from places as different as Tennessee and Turkey.
Some of the country’s conservative Church leaders have also been hesitant over migrants, particularly those from Islamic countries, fearing that they will dilute Poland’s Christian identity.
In his first speech after arriving Wednesday, Francis called on Poles to be compassionate and welcoming to those in need, especially refugees.
CZESTOCHOWA, Poland (AP) – Pope Francis missed a step and fell to the ground Thursday as he walked on an open-air platform to celebrate Mass at Poland’s holiest shrine of Jasna Gora. Francis came on a five-day visit to Poland to join hundreds of thousands of young people from around the globe for celebrations of the. A group of other priests raced to assist the pontiff, who got back up on his feet quickly. 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. He then proceeded to celebrate Mass as planned before tens of thousands of faithful.
The Mass marked this year’s 1,050th anniversary of Poland’s acceptance of the Roman Catholic faith, a move that eventually set it apart culturally from Orthodox nations in the region.
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Worry about bad weather prompted a last-minute change the pope’s travel plans, with Francis opting to take a auto instead of a military helicopter to Czestochowa, 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Krakow. The gray skies held into the Mass but he was able to return to Krakow by helicopter.
