On 12 May 2026, the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, visited the Vatican, where he paid tribute to Saint John Paul II in the Basilica of St Peter.
The date on which Church recalls the 106th anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła (born May 18, 1920), the President of Poland prayed at the grave of Pope Pole and folded a white-red bouquet of flowers.
Karol Nawrocki stressed that St. John Paul II remains not only a great spiritual authority for Poles, but also a symbol of freedom and moral victory over totalitarianism.
"The awareness of our past helps us to integrate into a long range of generations to convey the next common good – Homeland. Saint John Paul II, pray for us." – wrote the president on platform X, publishing a photo from St Peter's Basilica.
The visit of President Nawrocki to the Vatican is an expression of the continuation of the Polish tradition of paying tribute to the greatest Pole of the 20th century. The Holy Mass was also attended by representatives of the Polish embassy at the Holy See.
St. John Paul II died on April 2, 2005. He was beatified in 2011 and canonized in 2014 by Pope Francis. His grave in St Peter's Basilica remains one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world.
Source: President.pl
