Poland

Taking the most prestigious archbishop’s seat in the country, the Archbishops’ Palace of Krakow, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś — one of the most globally recognized Polish owners of the red hat …

“As tensions resurface today in the face of war, this great step between Poles and Germans, taken just 20 years after World War II, deserves to be remembered.”

“Despite the fear, despite the loss, our people still come to church,” the bishop said. “Our faith is alive — maybe more alive than ever.”

Instead of dressing as ghosts or monsters, children appear as saints and angels, joining joyful parades, games and prayer services to highlight All Saints’ Day.

Father Jan Swierc, rector of the Salesian parish in Krakow, was arrested by the Gestapo in 1941, taken to prison and then transferred to Auschwitz.

“I pray before every performance. I always ask for support, because what we do as musicians somehow exceeds our human capabilities.”

At his Wednesday morning general audience, Pope Leo’s face lit up with an unusually bright smile receiving a unique donation: Proton, a purebred Arabian horse from a prestigious Polish stable.

“It’s a tough, tough human issue, and unless you work with victims and survivors and hear their story, you really can’t have a conversion of heart.”

The third national peregrination of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa through Poland’s nearly 10,000 parishes is underway.

As fall begins, Catholics are watching closely for Pope Leo XIV’s first major Vatican appointments. One of the most urgent vacancies to fill is his own former role — prefect …