VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI begins his pastoral visit to Poland: “I deeply desired to make this visit to the country and the people of my beloved predecessor the Servant of God John Paul II. I have come to retrace his steps along the itinerary of his life …”

Warsaw (Agenzia Fides) - “I am happy to be here with you on the soil of the Republic of Poland. I deeply desired to make this visit to the country and the people of my beloved predecessor the Servant of God John Paul II”. These were the first words of Pope Benedict XVI in Poland at the welcome ceremony at Warsaw airport where he arrived on Thursday 25 May. The Holy Father was welcomed by the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński, numerous political and civil authorities, Cardinal Józef Glemp, Archbishop of Warsaw, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, Archbishop of Kraków, Archbishop Józef Michalik, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Józef Kowalczyk, the apostolic nuncio in Poland. In his speech at the airport, Pope Benedict XVI explained the reasons for his visit: to retrace the steps of his Predecessor, John Paul II, “along the itinerary of his life, from childhood to his departure for that memorable conclave in 1978”… “to meet and get to know better the generations of believers who offered him for the service of God and the Church and those born and matured for the Lord under his pastoral guidance as a priest, bishop, and then Pope”. Then Pope Benedict XVI said the motto of his journey “Be strong in the faith”, shows that “this is not simply a sentimental journey … it is an itinerary of faith, inscribed in the mission the Lord entrusted to me in the person of St Peter the apostle who was called to confirm the brothers and sisters in the faith ”.
After greeting the civil and religious authorities present Benedict XVI mentioned two important places he would visit so dear to John Paul II: “the capital of Poland Warsaw and his archbishop’s See Krakow”. From these two cities he will visit: Częstochowa, Wadowice, Kalwaria, Łagiewniki, the Cattedrale of Wawel, the Shrine of Divine Mercy at Łagiewniki. “Last of all I will visit Auschwitz - the Pope said -. There I hope to meet surviving victims of Nazi terror from various different countries who suffered tragic oppression. Together we will pray that the scars of the last century may heal with the medicine the good Lord indicates to us calling us to reciprocal forgiveness and offering us the mystery of his mercy.”
At the end of his speech the Pope repeated the motto of his visit - "Be strong in the faith" - and said he hoped the next few days would be an experience of “consolidating the faith for all of us, for the members of the Church which is in Poland and for myself” and he concluded: “For people who do not have the grace of the faith but who have good will in their heart, may my visit be a time of brotherhood, goodwill and hope.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/5/2006 - righe 32, parole 461)