Poland prepares for possible papal visit

Polish government and Church officials have begun preparations for a possible visit by Pope Leo XIV, although no date has yet been announced.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met with Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, to begin coordinating preparations for what would be Leo’s first pilgrimage to Poland as pope.

The papal visit would be organized jointly by the Polish government and the Catholic Church.

Formal invitations have already been extended to Pope Leo XIV by both the Polish state and the Church, Vatican News reported. On behalf of the Republic of Poland, invitations have come from Presidents Andrzej Duda and Karol Nawrocki as well as Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference has also invited the pope.

Because of the international nature of the visit, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate preparations on the government’s side.

A date for the pilgrimage has not yet been determined. Once it is established, a working group composed of representatives of the relevant Church and state authorities will be created to organize the visit.…