Pope John Paul II’s Speeches Given to the Polish Emigrants and the Polish Community Abroad

Abstract

During his pontificate Pope John Paul II made 104 foreign journeys and visited 130 countries. In 45 countries he met members of the Polonia (Polish Community Abroad), Polish emigrants and members of the Polish national minority in Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. This happened in 19 European, 8 African and 9 South American countries. Moreover, the Pope met Poles in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Kazakhstan. During the meetings he made speeches they had expected. He also spoke to Polish pilgrims coming to Rome from various countries of the whole world. There were more than 70 such speeches. In them, the Pope ponders on the problems that Poles face when leaving their country and settling down abroad. They can be reduced to two basic ones. They are: maintaining their own spiritual identity based on Christian values in the Polish culture gained in their homeland, and integration with the nations living in the country they are going to settle. The Pope indicates that maintaining one’s own Christian identity is a necessary condition for having respect for oneself and for bringing a valuable contribution to the culture of the target countries. Integration in the meaning of joining the life and culture of the target countries, with maintaining the basic values of the Christian Polish culture is considered a necessary social process by the Pope.