“From the free soul of an enslaved Poland came a word that overcame the communist dictatorship. John Paul II stood guard over truth and freedom, consistently calling for respect for fundamental values,” wrote President Karol Nawrocki on X.
On October 16, 1978, Karol Wojtyła became the first Pole in history to be elected pope. It was the second-longest papacy of the Holy Father on the See of Peter. “He stood guard over truth and freedom, consistently calling for respect for fundamental values,” wrote President Karol Nawrocki on X. The head of state reminded that 47 years ago, “from the free soul of an enslaved Poland came a word that overcame the communist dictatorship.”
The 26-year-long pontificate was the second-longest in the history of the Catholic Church. At the time of his election, John Paul II was the youngest pope chosen in the 20th century. Immediately after his death, in the eyes of millions, the Holy Father was considered a saint. He passed away at the age of 84 on April 2, 2005, on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. His beatification process began very quickly, followed three years later by his canonization, which took place on April 27, 2014.