The world was shocked by the death of Pope Francis on 21 April 2025. In this pivotal moment, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz revealed previously unknown details about the Pope’s relationship with Poland in an interview for VaticanNews. Here is what the long-time collaborator of the hierarch disclosed.
Pope Francis and Poland: The Last Conversations
Cardinal Dziwisz confirmed that the Pope remained interested in the situation in Poland until the very end. – He grieved over the problems, but never lost faith in our nation. He said:
Poland has always been faithful to the Church and the Pope. It never betrayed Peter
– the hierarch recalled.
These words became the key to understanding why the cardinal felt a moral duty to accompany Francis in his final moments.
Franciscan Simplicity in Kraków
Memories of the Pope’s visit to World Youth Day (WYD) in 2016 reveal his character:
- He stayed for 6 days on Franciszkańska Street, in modest conditions
- Every morning at dawn he prayed in the corridors while others were still asleep
- He washed his own socks, refusing help with the cleaning
- It was the spirit of a true Franciscan – Dziwisz stressed.
An Unexpected Triumph in Kraków
The organizers did not expect that more than 2 million pilgrims from around the world would attend the event. – At first the Pope was full of doubts, but when he saw the sea of young people, the flawless organization and the enthusiasm, he said:
Here the Church is alive!
– the cardinal recounted.
Francis took this image of Poland as a country of faith, culture and love for the Pope with him to the Vatican.
A Legacy of Trust
The declaration of national mourning on 26 April 2025 by President Duda confirms Poland’s special bond with the Holy See.
I can absolutely confirm this, because I was with him personally several times, just recently. He was interested in everything happening in Poland. He grieved over the problems, he wondered what was happening with Poland, but he always trusted that Poland would remain faithful – faithful to the Church and faithful to the Pope. Poland never betrayed Peter, it was always faithful to him and remained faithful to the end. That is why I am here today, of course as a cardinal, and I fulfill the moral duty to be with the Pope in these last moments, including in this farewell.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, interview for Vatican News
He came to Kraków for World Youth Day and lived on Franciszkańska Street for six days. We admired him not only because he was the Pope, but for his simplicity. In the morning, when everyone was still asleep, he was already walking the corridors and praying. A priest who wanted to clean his apartment in Kraków noticed that the Pope washed his own socks and prepared everything himself. Until the end he kept the Franciscan spirit. He experienced World Youth Day in Kraków, where no one expected that over two million young people would come. I saw him arrive in Kraków – he was a little uncertain of what awaited him. But when he saw the crowds of young people, their enthusiasm, the wonderful order and the beautiful liturgy, he realized that this was a country where the Church is alive, where there is culture and love for the Pope. He left with this, and it remained in his heart.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, interview for Vatican News
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