Polish servicemen stand during the unveiling ceremony of a giant cross monument in central Warsaw in honor of the late Pope John Paul II marking the 30th anniversary of the Polish-born pontiff's first visit to his homeland, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, June 6, 2009. The 30-foot or nine-meter, tall white granite cross stands on the site where John Paul II celebrated Mass in 1979 in then-communist Poland, inspiring the country's nascent pro-democracy groups and giving rise to the Solidarity freedom movement that helped topple communist rule in 1989. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)From The Associated Press
Poland on Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's first pilgrimage to his homeland, unveiling a giant cross monument in central Warsaw in honor of the late Polish-born pontiff.
The 30-foot (nine-meter) tall white granite cross stands on the site where John Paul II delivered a Mass in 1979 in then-communist Poland. The sermon is credited by many with inspiring the country's nascent pro-democracy groups and giving rise to the Solidarity freedom movement that helped topple communist rule in 1989.
"We Poles know that the overthrow of communism did not start in 1989 but 10 years earlier, here on this square with the words of John Paul II," Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz told the thousands of faithful who attended the ceremony and later Mass. "From today forward, in the heart of Poland and Warsaw ... will stand a cross that is a symbol of the faith, perseverance and hope."
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The 30-foot (nine-meter) tall white granite cross stands on the site where John Paul II delivered a Mass in 1979 in then-communist Poland. The sermon is credited by many with inspiring the country's nascent pro-democracy groups and giving rise to the Solidarity freedom movement that helped topple communist rule in 1989.
"We Poles know that the overthrow of communism did not start in 1989 but 10 years earlier, here on this square with the words of John Paul II," Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz told the thousands of faithful who attended the ceremony and later Mass. "From today forward, in the heart of Poland and Warsaw ... will stand a cross that is a symbol of the faith, perseverance and hope."
Read the rest of this entry >>
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