From Czestochowa to Kalvaria, from the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy to the Sanctuary of Jasna Gora. Through to other "symbolic" sanctuaries loved by Karol Wojtyla, such as Wadowice, his birthplace, and the Cathedral of Wavel in Cracow, where John Paul II celebrated his first Mass. As he went over the stops of his apostolic journey in Poland, Benedict XVI mentioned the places that "left their mark on the life of priest and bishop Karol Wojtyla" and every time he mentioned his name he has greeted by the applause of a crowd of 35 thousand devotees gathered in Saint Peter’s Square. As he mentioned Jasna Gora and the presence of "a huge number of devotees and leaders of church movements", Benedict XVI highlighted that, from the Marian sanctuary that is most loved by the Polish, he "wanted to re-launch faith as a fundamental attitude of the spirit, which affects one’s all: thoughts, affections, intentions, relations, physicality, activity, daily work". As to Pope Wojtyla’s places, called "symbolic" sanctuaries, the Pope immediately thought of Wadowice: "Visiting it he said offered me the opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of this indefatigable servant of the Gospel. The roots of his strong faith, of his sensitive and open humanity, of his love of beauty and truth, of his devotion to the Virgin, of his love for the Church and above all of his call to holiness are in this town, where he was firstly educated and formed". (to be continued)
