On Monday, 18 May 2026, at St Peter’s Basilica, Poles and Polish pilgrims marked the 106th anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła. In the morning, at the tomb of Saint John Paul II, the Eucharist was celebrated under the presidency of Bishop Jan Ozga from Cameroon. The homily was delivered by Monsignor Paweł Ptasznik, Chairman of our Foundation. After the Mass, a wreath was laid at the tomb of the Polish Pope on behalf of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation by its Administrator, Monsignor Dariusz Giers. A little later, flowers were also laid by the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who was paying an official visit to the Vatican that day.
On Wednesday, 13 May 2026, shortly after 5:00 p.m., at St Peter’s Square—at the very place where, forty‑five years earlier, the attempt on the life of the Polish Pope took place—the Polish community in Rome, together with the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Holy See, Adam Kwiatkowski, gathered for a moment of prayer. The event, organised by the Church of Saint Stanislaus in Rome, was attended by the Chairman and Administrator of our Foundation: Monsignor Paweł Ptasznik and Monsignor Dariusz Giers. Earlier that morning, during the General Audience, the Holy Father Leo XIV prayed at the site of the assassination attempt.
Let us also recall that on 2 April 2026 we marked the 21st anniversary of the death of Saint John Paul II. Because the Paschal Triduum began on that day, the traditional prayer vigil at St Peter’s Square was held one day earlier, on 1 April. The event was organised by the Church of Saint Stanislaus in Rome, the Polish Pastoral Ministry in Ostia, and our Foundation. Participants prayed for peace in the world, entrusting to God all nations afflicted by war and unrest. The rosary meditations were based on Saint John Paul II’s Message for the World Day of Peace of 1980. The prayer was led by Monsignor Paweł Ptasznik, Chairman of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation. Among those present were representatives of the Polish authorities in Rome, including the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Holy See and the Consul of the Republic of Poland in Rome.
