1979 papal visit awakened yearning for freedom among Poles: PM

Speaking during a conference in the port city of Gdańsk, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that John Paul II's first trip to Poland as pope in 1979 helped sow "seeds of understanding" among people when the nation was under communist rule.

Morawiecki was on Monday taking part in events to commemorate John Paul II on the 40th anniversary of the Polish-born pontiff's nine-day visit to his native country.

The Polish head of government led a throng of officials who gathered to commemorate the milestone at the historic Gdańsk Shipyard, the birthplace of the Solidarity trade union and freedom movement, which challenged Poland’s Soviet-backed communist regime in the 1980s.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed John Paul II as “a champion for human dignity and religious liberty” and said that the pontiff’s 1979 trip to Poland "helped tear down the Iron Curtain of communism in Europe."

Trump said in a presidential message that St. Pope John Paul II’s first pilgrimage to Poland 40 years ago “changed the course of history.”

John Paul II led the Roman Catholic Church from October 16, 1978 until his death on April 2, 2005.

He was the third longest-serving pontiff in history and was declared a saint in 2014.

He visited 129 countries during his long pontificate and was a strong supporter of Poland's anti-communist Solidarity movement. He is recognised as a key influence in helping to end communist rule in Poland in 1989.

Newly unearthed documents show that Pope John Paul II was seen as the main enemy of Poland’s communist-era rulers, according to a report.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP