Polish government and Church officials have begun preparations for a possible visit by Pope Leo XIV, although no date has yet been announced.<\/p>\n
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski met with Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gda\u0144sk, president of the Polish Bishops\u2019 Conference, to begin coordinating preparations for what would be Leo\u2019s first pilgrimage to Poland as pope.<\/p>\n
The papal visit would be organized jointly by the Polish government and the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 Conference has also invited the pope.<\/p>\n
Because of the international nature of the visit, Poland\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate preparations on the government\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Three popes have visited Poland a total of 11 times.<\/p>\n
St. John Paul II, a native of Poland, made nine papal visits to the country. Benedict XVI visited in 2006, while Pope Francis traveled to Poland in 2016 for World Youth Day in Krak\u00f3w.<\/p>\n