Polish officials said pope's health will dictate potential pilgrimage

Published: 2004-11-17

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Polish church officials said Pope John Paul II has expressed a desire to visit his homeland next summer, but that expectations should be tempered by realism about his health. Speaking after a visit to Rome in early November, Cardinal Jozef Glemp of Warsaw said hopes for a papal visit should be "accompanied by realism" in view of the pope's health. But he said the pope was "expressing a willingness" to travel home. The cardinal said he visited the Vatican to discuss planned beatifications, including that of the Solidarity priest, Father Jerzy Popieluszko, who was murdered by communist secret police agents in 1984. Other Polish church officials said the pope hoped to visit in June to dedicate a new basilica in Warsaw. Cardinal Glemp said he expected Polish bishops to approve programs for the 2005 Year of the Eucharist, providing an "additional motive" for the pope to visit next summer.

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