On Wednesday, the Pope's visit to Poland began when Pope Francis, after attending a welcoming ceremony at the Kraków–Balice Airport, travelled to Wawel Royal Castle to meet with representatives of national and local government, the Catholic Church, diplomatic corps, and the academic community. One of them was Prof. Wojciech Nowak, the Jagiellonian University's rector.
The Pope's visit to Wawel Castle was an unprecedented one. To that day, no pope has ever entered the inner chambers of the castle, as Pope John Paul II managed to visit only the newly restored courtyard during his last stay in Poland, with the rest of the castle being sealed off for renovations. However, Pope John Paul II was very fond of Wawel Cathedral, which he visited every time he came to Kraków.
"It's my first visit to Central Eastern Europe and I'm very happy that I started with Poland, the motherland of the unforgettable Pope Saint John Paul II, the founding father of World Youth Days. He used to say that it breathes through two lungs: the East and the West. His dream of modern European humanism is fuelled by the creative and harmonious breath of these two lungs and a common culture, deeply rooted in Christian traditions. Remembrance is what distinguishes the Polish people. I've always been in awe of Pope John Paul II's understanding and knowledge of history. When he spoke of nations, he always started with their history as the source of their humanism and spirituality. A sense of identity, free from superiority complexes, is absolutely necessary to build national communities based on our humanistic, social, political, economic, and religious heritage; to inspire the society and its culture but staying faithful to its traditions, but at the same time being open to new experiences," Pope Francis said in his speech.
The meeting was attended by numerous representative of Kraków higher education institutions. Aside from Prof. Wojciech Nowak, the Pope was greeted by the rectors of the AGH University of Science and Technology, Pontifical University of John Paul II, Tadeusz Kościuszko Cracow University of Technology, Kraków University of Economics, Jesuit University Ignatianum in Cracow, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Academy of Music in Kraków, Pedagogical University of Cracow, and PWST National Academy of Theatre and Arts in Krakow.
