Karol Darmoros
Seed and beautiful land
The first words to pilgrims from Poland were spoken at the new Pope’s first general audience – on May 21, 2025. Leo XIV referred to the parable of the sower, which was being contemplated at the time. Addressing the Poles, he emphasized that “the image of fields sown with grain harmoniously fits your beautiful, native land.” “Allow the seed of God’s Word to also sprout in you and yield an abundant harvest. Listen to this Word with attention, so that you may make wise choices in your personal, family, and social life,” Leo XIV urged.
The Primate as a role model
A week later, on May 28, on the liturgical memorial of Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the Pope drew upon Polish historical memory and referred to the figure of the Primate of the Millennium. “In times of persecution of the Church in Poland – despite imprisonment – he remained a pastor faithful to Christ. Through sacrifice and dialogue, he built unity in the Church and society. May his testimony inspire you to care for the Church and the Homeland,” the Pope said to the Poles.
Peace and the future of the youngest
In August, when hundreds of thousands of Poles made pilgrimages to Jasna Góra, Leo XIV addressed a special request to them. “I ask you that among your intentions be supplications for the gift of peace – unarmed and disarming – for the whole world, especially for Ukraine and the Middle East,” the Pope said.
At the next audience, greeting Poles at the beginning of the school year, the Holy Father asked for prayers for the youngest: “May September be a time of prayer for children and young people returning to schools. Ask for them, through the intercession of the blessed, and soon to be saints, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, the gift of deep faith on the path of growth,” Leo XIV said on September 3.
St. John Paul II – a current patron
On October 22, the day of the memorial of St. John Paul II, the Holy Father recalled the words that the Polish Pope spoke 47 years earlier – on the day of the inauguration of his pontificate. “He called the world to open itself to Christ. This appeal is still relevant today: we are all called to make it our own,” Leo XIV noted.
The dawn of independence
In mid-November, referring to the end of World War I and Poland’s regaining independence, Leo XIV connected the Polish historical experience with the evangelical call: “Let us be grateful to God for the gift of peace, than which – as St. Augustine writes – ‘nothing better can be found.’ Let us guard it with a heart rooted in the Gospel, in the spirit of brotherhood and love for the Homeland,” he said.
First words in Polish
On Christmas Day 2025, during the Urbi et Orbi message from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo XIV spoke in Polish for the first time in his pontificate. “Blessed Christmas!” he said to tens of thousands of faithful in the Square and millions of viewers of the broadcast worldwide. A few days earlier, he conveyed another kind of commitment to the Poles: “May the Child Jesus fill your hearts, families, communities, and all of society with peace. I especially entrust to Him young people, so that with courage and full of hope they may appreciate the importance of sacramental marriage and be open to new life.”
Easter as a profession of faith
On Holy Wednesday, the Pope called on Poles to remain with Christ in the silence of the Triduum. He also encouraged participation in the Resurrection procession to be a sign of something more than tradition. “Adoring the Blessed Sacrament at the Tombs of the Lord in these days, learn to remain faithfully with Christ in the hour of silence and trial. And when the Easter bells ring, may participation in the Resurrection procession be a profession of faith that love and peace are stronger than death.”
Three days later, at noon on Easter Sunday, from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope’s next Polish words were heard: “Joyful Easter!”
