Thursday marks 21 years since his death, following a pontificate that lasted more than 26 years.
Commemorations include church services and prayer vigils attended by crowds, as well as remembrance marches accompanied by reflections on John Paul II’s teachings. A recent survey found that 70 percent of adults in Poland still regard the late pontiff as a moral authority.
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.
A recent survey found that 70 percent of adults in Poland still regard the late pontiff as a moral authority.
John Paul II, who visited 129 countries during his 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 widely recognised as a key influence in the fall of communist rule in Poland in 1989.
Documents unearthed several years ago indicate that John Paul II was viewed as the main enemy by Poland's communist-era authorities, according to a report.
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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info