On Thursday, 3 July 2025, President Andrzej Duda made one of his last foreign trips as head of state. The highlight of the day was a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
Historic meeting – significance and background
This is Andrzej Duda’s first official visit to the Vatican since Leo XIV was elected pope in May 2025. The meeting was private, and the details of the conversation have not been disclosed to the public. The event is special in that it closes a decade of intensive relations between Duda and the Holy See, and it is his last such meeting in his role as President of the Republic of Poland.
Audience with Pope Leo XIV
Andrzej Duda was received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV on Thursday morning.
The talks probably concerned international issues, ethical questions and joint diplomatic efforts, although official statements do not reveal details.
The president invited Pope Leo XIV to Poland and asked him to consider possible dates for a visit.
Right after the audience, the president met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, who has played a key role in Vatican diplomacy for years.
Tribute to John Paul II
Andrzej Duda laid flowers at the tomb of St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica, underlining the symbolic significance of this visit for Poles and the whole Catholic world.
Andrzej Duda’s visit to the Vatican shows how important Poland’s relations with the Catholic Church are, both in the political and spiritual dimensions
