Cardinal Parolin Leads 25th Anniversary Celebrations of Holy See-Polish Diplomatic Ties

Vatican Secretary of State Pays Tribute to Saint John Paul II

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The Vatican Secretary of State paid tribute to Saint John Paul II on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Poland, saying that the Polish pontiff is “a patron of your freedom.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin was speaking on June 1 during a nationwide day of thanksgiving for the canonization of Saint John Paul II outside the Church of Divine Providence, Warsaw.

“You [give] thank[s] for St. John Paul II and his great pontificate,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, according to the Polish Catholic weekly Niedziela, adding: “The Lord has done such great things through him!”

Cardinal Parolin went on to encourage the people of Poland to accept the children they receive. “Courage! God does not take away anything, but fills us with grace if we trust him. I encourage you to entrust yourselves to Divine Providence and not be afraid of accepting [the] children whom God wants to give to you.”

“Let your nation still give birth to new saints,” he said. “They will decide about the fate of your homeland! They are also needed by the Church and the world.”

The prelate went on to speak about the bravery of Cardinal Wyszynski, who had served as primate of Poland from 1948 to 1981. He “was very brave to face up difficult times of the Communist regime,” he said, “giving an example of love to Christ and Church. If it had not been for him, there would have not been the Polish Pope.”

Cardinal Parolin also expressed in his speech support for Ukraine’s European integration. “There is no talk of Kyiv entering the European home, but rather of its returning to it,” he said.

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, he noted that the path of negotiation and dialogue is the only way to resolve the current conflict. “We believe that the openness of all parties to the dialogue can bring to the implementation of relevant interests,” he said.

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