Poland: prayer relay for mutual forgiveness on Pope Wojtyla’s 40th anniversary

In memory of John Paul II, Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski of Krakow and Card. Stanisław Dziwisz, former secretary of the Polish Pope, will inaugurate a special “prayer relay” this evening to “learn to forgive others and oneself”. The initiative, which will last until 17 June, was promoted to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination attempt on the Pontiff by Ali Agca, who was pardoned by John Paul II who met him in Rome’s Rebibbia prison. For 77 evenings, the faithful taking part in the initiative will meet to pray the Rosary together. Each celebration will be introduced by the reading of one of Wojtyla’s appeals for peace and reconciliation and, from 13 May, the day of the attack, by the reading of the messages sent to the Vatican as a sign of solidarity with the Pope. In announcing the prayer, which will be broadcast live every evening at 21:30 from the Tower of Fatima at the shrine dedicated to the Holy Pontiff, Mgr. Jędraszewski expressed the hope that participants in the relay “may more easily open their hearts to forgiveness”.
Anna T. Kowalewska