Pope Benedict XVI begins the second day of his Polish pilgrimage with morning mass in driving rain in the Polish capital.
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Pouring rain did not discourage the faithful in Warsaw to gather in the city center's Pilsudski Square for morning mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. Close to 300 thousand pilgrims from Poland and also neighboring Ukraine and Belarus came to hear the Holy Father's message. As has already become the custom, the Pope addressed his audience in Polish.

120 bishops from 24 countries co-celebrated the ceremony, held exactly in the same place where 27 years ago, still in the period of Communist rule in Poland, John Paul II said his first mass as the head of the Church during the first pilgimage to his homeland. Pope Benedict repeated his predecessor's memorable words of thanks to the Divine Providence for the possibility of coming here.

Pope Benedict also recalled the late cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, often referred to as the Primate of The Millenium for his staunch opposition to Communism. He spoke of the great merit cardinal Wyszynski had in paving the way to Rome for Karol Wojtyla to become John Paul II.

In his homily the Pope also made reference to the motto of his pontificate 'Be Strong In The Faith'. He said the truths of faith cannot be made relative through political assessments. He encouraged deeper thought and engagement of the faithful.

The Polish pilgrimage of Benedict XVI is a challenge for him as the new head of the Catholic Church, being constantly compared to his great predecessor. But as the pilgrims gathered in Pilsudski Square admitted, he has put Polish Catholics to an equally hard test.

' We should show there's no difference, if the Pope is from Germany or from Poland.
Of course. This will show whether people really believe in God. Many have shown their attachement to religion because of the Polish Pope. This is important, as the new Pope is German and there have been misunderstandings between our nations, so this will be a kind of reconcillaition of the two nations.'

Will Benedict XVI take the opportunity of his Polish pilgrimage to move away from the image of the continuator of John Paul's teachings and propose his own style of pontificate? Writer Halina Bortnowska says Poles should be open to change.

' He is in a way a continuator. A natural one, because he has been working with his predecessor in a very high position for a long time and has been influencing the previous pontificate. So, in a way, he can't be anything else but a continuator! Unless he has new inspirations. I'm old myself, but I am able to handle new inspirations, so I hope he is able, too. He can do new things. Then we shall be obliged to judge them according to their value.'

Jonathan Luxmoore, a correspondent of Western religious media points out that the unmatched sense of unity among Poles following the death of their beloved John Paul II would be something very difficult to recreate.

' A year after the death of John Paul II we're clearly well beyond a certain kind of almost euphoric atmosphere which greeted the events of April 2005. Euphoric in the sense of uniting the nation and bringing people back together again, even if only temporarily. That seems to have fallen away. It's quite clear that this great center of gravity which the Polish Pope provided has now disappeared and there is a sense of devisive elements.'

So the challenge is there for Pope Benedict XVI to find a way to Polish hearts to 'Be Strong In The Faith'. And the warm and open attitude towards Poles, not only in the days of his pilgrimage to Poland, have earned him reciprocal feelings from the compatriots of the late John Paul The Great. Cheering crowds are the best evidence of this relationship.

Later on Friday, Pope Benedict went from Warsaw to Czestochowa for Holy Mass at the Jasna Gora shrine where he also prayed at the famous Black Madonna icon. The Pauline Fathers, who are the curators of the Jasna Gora monastery, had been the first to send a congratulatory message to cardinal Joseph Ratzinger upon learning of his papal election and extending an invitation to visit.

After a two hour stay in Czestochowa the Pope is expected in Krakow, the ancient capital of Poland. Everyone there is hoping for Bendict XVI to appear in the famous 'Papal Window' at the Archbishops' House where John Paul II used to address the young pilgrims and lead hours long conversations, chatting and singing with them.

On Saturday, the Holy Father goes to Wadowice, the hometown of John Paul II and the sanctuary at Lagiewniki. In the afternoon, following a brief stay in the Cathedral next to the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill, Benedict XVI will be meeting youth gathered in the Blonia fields. Another busy day for the Pontiff.


Will Benedict XVI take the opportunity of his Polish pilgrimage to move away from the image of the continuator of John Paul's teachings and propose his own style of pontificate? Writer Halina Bortnowska says Poles should be open to change.

' He is in a way a continuator. A natural one, because he has been working with his predecessor in a very high position for a long time and has been influencing the previous pontificate. So, in a way, he can't be anything else but a continuator! Unless he has new inspirations. I'm old myself, but I am able to handle new inspirations, so I hope he is able, too. He can do new things. Then we shall be obliged to judge them according to their value.'

Jonathan Luxmoore, a correspondent of Western religious media points out that the unmatched sense of unity among Poles following the death of their beloved John Paul II would be something very difficult to recreate.
' A year after the death of John Paul II we're clearly well beyond a certain kind of almost euphoric atmosphere which greeted the events of April 2005. Euphoric in the sense of uniting the nation and bringing people back together again, even if only temporarily. That seems to have fallen away. It's quite clear that this great center of gravity which the Polish Pope provided has now disappeared and there is a sense of divisive elements.'

So the challenge is there for Pope Benedict XVI to find a way to Polish hearts to 'Be Strong In The Faith'. And the warm and open attitude towards Poles, not only in the days of his pilgrimage to Poland, have earned him reciprocal feelings from the compatriots of the late John Paul The Great. Cheering crowds are the best evidence of this relationship.

Later on Friday, Pope Benedict is flying south from Warsaw to Czestochowa for holy mass at the Jasna Gora shrine and in the evening he is expected in Krakow, the ancient capital of Poland.

lawek Szefs reports