Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in Poland

Cardinal Ratzinger first visited Poland in 1979. On June 10 that year, along with the delegation of the Conference of the Bishops of Germany, he took part in a Holy Mass celebrated in the Cracow Błonia meadow. "I first came to Poland with John Paul II in 1979. This was an unforgettable visit to his homeland, and at the same time an excellent experience, since I felt the enthusiasm of faith, the power of resistance to atheism, the strength of the Catholic faith. One could also feel the presence of anti-Christian dictatorship and ideology" recalled Cardinal Ratzinger in an interview for Jasna Góra Radio.

1980

The Archbishop of Munich and Freising was a member of the official delegation of the Conference of the Bishops of Germany, which in the period 11-15 September visited our country at the invitation of Polish bishops. At that time the German bishops visited Jasna Góra, Trzebnica, Wrocław, Opole, Katowice, Oświęcim, and Cracow. This was a return visit, since in September 1978 a group of Polish ecclesiastical leaders with Cardinals Stefan Wyszyński and Karol Wojtyła went to Germany. One month later the Metropolitan of Cracow became Pope.

Częstochowa

On 11 September a delegation of German bishops arrived at Jasna Góra. Welcoming the guests, Cardinal Wyszyński wished them, among others, to feel at home in Poland, "especially in the presence of She who unites the redeemed children of Christ in Bethlehem, on the Way of the Cross, and at the Calvary of life of the family of people and nations".

In response Cardinal Höffner, the head of the delegation, said that the German bishops "arrive at Jasna Góra (...) in order to show their respect to Polish brothers in the Episcopate and the entire Polish nation in an historic and memorable place and to jointly worship Our Lady, who is the mother of everyone, the Mother of Europe, the Mother of Christianity, and the Queen of Peace". These thoughts are expressed by a votive relief in gilt bronze, size 40 x 35 cm, representing Our Lady and Child holding two olive twigs, a sign of peace, in the right hand.

On 12 September the delegation of the Conference of the Episcopate of Germany together with Polish bishops took part in the Holy Mass celebrated at the altar before the Miraculous Image of Our Lady.

(source: Press Bureau of Jasna Góra)

After that, he visited also Trzebnica

Wrocław

On 12 September in Wrocław Cardinal Ratzinger received the first documentary film about the life of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła entitled TOTUS TUUS. The movie was shot by Fr. Jerzy Rasiak, Director of the Audio-Visual Centre of the Wrocław Archdiocese.

Cracow

On 13 September, during a Holy Mass in Our Lady’s Basilica, Cardinal Ratzinger delivered a sermon "Christian faith and Europe", in which he said among others, "After a dark period of history, which belongs to the past in relationships between Germans and Poles, the present invitation is for me an especially valuable sign of the uniting and reconciling power of faith, which gives strength to forgive and introduces brotherhood where the spirit of the absence of faith sowed hatred and enmity. I wish to thank now for this gift of forgiveness, peace and brotherhood born in faith".

Oświęcim

In Oświęcim Ratzingetr visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum.

One of the most significant and touching moments of this visit was the prayer in the death cell of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe. The German bishops prayed then with the following words: "Almighty God, the place we are standing in brings to memory the ruthless and severe power of lawlessness committed by the Germans. Gathered in prayer at the place of his sacrifice, we all confess to jointly take effort to overcome the enmity and hatred between the nations".

Katowice

The Cardinal donated a mosaic to the Katowice Cathedral of Christ the King; at present it can be found in the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The artists Lidia Kwiatkowska from Mikołów and Teresa Madej from Piekary Śląskie laid nearly a million tiny stones covering an area of 80 square metres. John Paul II prayed before the mosaic during his second pilgrimage to Poland (1983).

PHOTO caption: Archive of Gość Niedzielny.

(source: M. Rzepka, Podarował milion kamyczków [He gave a million stones], Gość Niedzielny 19/2005)

1981

On May 31 Cardinal Ratzinger represented the German Church at Cardinal Stephan Wyszyński’s funeral.

1983

Góra świętej Anny

On 26 June cardinal Ratzinger presided over a pilgrimage of men and youths. It took place five days after the visit of John Paul II. Archbishop Alfons Nossol recalls it as follows: "When I was extending the invitation, I did not know that the second pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland was to include Silesia. It so happened, then, that the pilgrimage was to take place only five days after the Pope’s visit. Ratzinger said then, "You know what? It wouldn’t work; no one will come right after the Pope’s visit". I responded to him: "Do not fear, this is going to be a service of thanksgiving for the Pope’s pilgrimage". And we had over 200,000 men coming here! The Mass was celebrated in Latin, and the Cardinal delivered a magnificent sermon, recalls Archbishop Alfons Nossol.

Chorula

On 26 June Cardinal Ratzinger blessed the cornerstone for an auxiliary church of the Kąty Opolskie parish – the Holy Trinity Church in Chorula – and said a Holy Mass in Latin.

Krowiarki

Bishop Alfons Nossol invited Cardinal Ratzinger for the silver jubilee of the priesthood of his friend, Fr. Leonard Gaida, then a parish priest in the Krowiarki parish, Racibórz County.

When the Cardinal greeted every one of us, I said: "Eminence, I saw your ingress to the Munich Cathedral on Saturday before the Pentecost, on 28 May 1977". He smiled nostalgically and said: "I remember this, too, schőn war das!" recalls Fr. Hubert Mikołajec in his account published by Gość Niedzielny in Opole.

Nysa

Cardinal Ratzinger in the Seminary of Opole Silesia.

Brożec

Visit to the native village of Archbishop Nossol.

At the end of this visit cardinal Ratzinger visited also Opole.

1988

Lublin

Conferring the title of an honorary doctor of the Catholic University of Lublin on 23 October. This was the first title of this kind conferred on the Cardinal by a Polish university. The honorary doctor delivered a lecture entitled "Man – reproduction or creation?".

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

The Cardinal visited the shrine in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska on 24 October. He was accompanied by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski.

The monastery chronicle notes that the monks awaited the Cardinal in the monastery yard. After his arrival, they went to the chapel of Our Lady of Kalwaria. After a prayer, Cardinal Ratzinger visited the basilica and ate a meal in the refectory.

Cracow

On 19 April cardinal Ratzinger came for a short, one-day trip to Cracow at the invitation of the Znak Publishing House. He delivered a lecture titled "The unity of faith and the multiplicity of cultures. Reflections on the Fides et ratio encyclical". During the meeting with the Cracow intellectuals he stressed that "The Church must follow the path of the Second Vatican Council". He pointed to the reform of the liturgy as the key achievement of the Council.

2000

Wrocław

On 27 October cardinal Ratzinger received his second title of an honorary doctor of a Polish university. The celebration took place in the hall of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław. Presenting the honorary diploma, Fr. Prof. Ignacy Dec, President of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław, made a reference to a well-known saying about St. Tomas Aquinas: "St. Thomas was the greatest theologian among the saints and the greatest saint among the theologians, while Cardinal Ratzinger is the most outstanding theologian among the Cardinals and the most prominent Cardinal among theologians". The President also said that it is hard to imagine the Church without the "unique duo" and the community that for years now had been formed by John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger, who strengthen each other in perfect harmony in delineating the line of the Church. The honorary doctor delivered a lecture entitled "Faith and theology".

Henryków

On 28 October the Cardinal put tunics on the graduates of the first year of the Wrocław Metropolitan Seminary.

Opole

Cardinal Ratzinger took part in the inauguration of the academic year at the University of Opole. The representatives of the university stressed the fact that thanks to the favourable opinion of the Cardinal, the Congregation for Catholic Education consented to the establishment of the Faculty of Theology in Opole.

In his address, Cardinal Ratzinger referred to the issues raised by the famous declaration Dominus Iesus. In memory of the meeting the Cardinal was presented with a replica of the 11th-century Gniezno lectionary.

(source: Gość Niedzielny from Opole)

Oleśnica

A meeting with residents of Oleśnica in the parish of Divine Mercy took place on 29 October. Cardinal Ratzinger delivered a homily and blessed a figure of Christ the King of the Universe.

At the end of this visit cardinal visited also Wrocław.

2002

Radom

On 25 May cardinal Ratzinger took part in the celebration of episcopal ordination of Fr. Zygmunt Zimowski. "Bishop Zygmunt, you know how much we in Rome awaited this day. We were all convinced that this was the will of God to confer on you such a responsibility in the Church" said Cardinal Ratzinger during the celebration of the episcopal ordination.

Cardinal Ratzinger also visited the local seminary.

Częstochowa

Visit to Jasna Góra with Bishop Zimowski from Radom on 26 May.

Cardinal Ratzinger presided over a Holy Mass before the Miraculous Image of Our Lady in Jasna Góra. In his homily he spoke among others: "Our feast and our celebration is nothing else but thanksgiving to God for the fact that He exists, for the fact that He loves us, for His love".

2003

Szczepanów

Cardinal Ratzinger arrived in Poland as the papal legate on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the canonisation of St. Stanislaus. On May 10 he took part in the solemn Holy Mass at the chapel of the birth of St. Stanislaus in Szczepanów n. Brzesko, Tarnów Diocese. In an interview with KAI he stressed that he saw a profound spiritual bond between the work of John Paul II and the Episcopal ministry of St. Stanislaus of Cracow in the 11th century. Cardinal Ratzinger presented the Shrine in Szczepanów with a gold chalice, a gift from John Paul II

Cracow

On May 11 Cardinal Ratzinger stayed in Cracow. During the liturgy Cardinal Ratzinger used the chalice donated to the Archdiocese of Cracow by John Paul II. After the blessing he said in Polish: "Praised be Jesus Christ". He spoke a few sentences in German from his speech, which was later read out in its entirety in Polish by Cardinal Macharski. According to Cardinal Ratzinger, "What St. Stanislaus was an exemplary of is now the experience also of Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father has become even more credible and beloved, because he does not spare himself and emanates with God’s joy. He is a great and credible messenger of Jesus Christ in our times", said Cardinal Ratzinger.

Compiled by M. Terlikowska, K. Tomasik

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