Pope Francis remembers St John Paul II’s birthday

(Vatican Radio) “Today, the day of Saint John Paul II’s birth, I cordially greet all the Polish persons here present.”

Pope Francis marked the 18 May birthday of St John Paul II at this week’s general audience, greeting in particular a group of Polish nationals, including Polish president Andrzej Duda, with soldiers and others who had taken part in a memorial Mass for the fallen held at the Polish cemetery of Montecasino. 

The Pope also had words for those gathered in Toruń for the consecration of the shrine of the “Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the New Evangelization and St John Paul II.”

“These important events are for you an invitation to pray for peace, for the Church in Poland, and for the prosperity of your homeland.”