The next stage was Auschwitz. The altar was built in the Birkenau sub-camp, on the ramp, next to which convoys with sealed wagons stopped. In them Jews from all over Europe were brought here. “It was impossible for me not to come here as Pope” said John Paul II, “I have come and I kneel on this Golgotha of the modern world.” Referring to the content of plaques commemorating the victims of Nazi madness, he added something unexpected. He mentioned the Russian plate to emphasize the suffering of the Russian people in the struggle for “freedom of peoples”.
These were the right words of appreciation. And besides, if there was an opportunity, why not contribute to easing the atmosphere of tensions?
Finally, Karol Wojtyla reached his Krakow and the great celebration began. On the last day of the visit, almost two million people gathered in Krakow’s Błonia. The Holy Mass at the end of the celebration of the Jubilee of Saint Stanislaus was the liturgy of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: both themes referred to the basic elements of Christian life – maturity, responsibility, and at the same time to the sacrament of Confirmation.
It was here, between baptism in Warsaw and confirmation in Krakow, that the profound meaning of this pilgrimage was contained – confirmation of Poland in the Christian faith. In this faith, in fact, the nation has shaped its history, its culture, and carved its heritage. It was a reference to the roots, to the reality that this heritage has symbolized for centuries. At the same time, it was an invitation to fidelity to this legacy, to strengthen it and to express it through a constant defense of the dignity of the human person.
An unforgettable experience! I got the impression that something was happening that we could not comprehend with our minds. From that moment on, the people, at the Pope’s side, felt free, inwardly free. They were no longer overcome by fear. Not only in Poland, but also in other, especially neighboring countries of the East, as well as in the countries of the Third World, it was understood that the Pope by his very presence gave a sense of freedom.
It was strength, a novelty of the pontificate of John Paul II: to free people from the pressure of fear!
With the consent of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – “Testimony”.
TBA marketing communication Publishing House. Warsaw 2007
