Sunday marks 18 years since Pope John Paul II died after a pontificate lasting more than 26 years.
Events commemorating the anniversary of the pontiff’s death include religious services in churches and prayer vigils attended by crowds, in addition to remembrance marches combined with reflections on John Paul II’s teachings.
Seventy percent of adults in Poland said in a recent survey that the late pontiff remained a moral authority for them.
John Paul II, who visited 129 countries during his long pontificate, served as pope 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.
The pope was a strong supporter of Poland's anti-communist Solidarity movement and is recognised as a key influence in helping to end communist rule in Poland in 1989.
Documents unearthed several years ago show that Pope John Paul II was seen as the main enemy of Poland’s communist-era rulers, according to a report.
Polish lawmakers last month adopted a resolution to condemn a "disgraceful media smear campaign against St. John Paul II," and called the late pope “the greatest Pole in history.”
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Source: IAR, pap.pl/polskieradio24.pl