Pope urges Poles to resist 'influences of secular ideology'

Published: 2004-06-08

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- The pope marked the 25th anniversary of his first visit to Poland as pope by urging fellow Poles to resist "the influences of secular ideology." In a message to Polish bishops, published in Polish newspapers June 3, the pope said his 1979 visit, seven months after his election, had marked "a kind of passage of the Holy Spirit" across Poland. He said Poles must continually ensure that their hard-fought freedom takes an "evangelical and human shape," and that Poles still needed to show "concern for the common good, especially the good of a free homeland." Pope John Paul said, "I deeply believe this effort of permanent spiritual transformation will bear fruit in the hearts of our countrymen through the further development of a national culture rooted in Christianity and fidelity to eternal values."

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