Pope Benedict tells Poles he still trusts Pope John Paul's guidance

Published: 2006-10-17

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Marking the 28th anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI told Polish Catholics that he, like many of them, continues to trust in the guidance of the late pope. "I was able to spend more than two decades at his side, enjoying his benevolence and friendship," said Pope Benedict, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and "today I can continue his work under his protective gaze from the house of the Father." Pope Benedict's message was broadcast on Polish television Oct. 16, the anniversary of Pope John Paul's 1978 election. The pope told the Polish people that Pope John Paul loved his homeland, which for him was a "mother who gave him life in the faith and who raised him in love for Christ and his brothers and sisters."

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