By Grażyna Starzak
The Pope will begin his pilgrimage to Poland on Wawel Hill where he will meet the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, members of the Government, and representatives of the Parliament. He will then meet the Polish Bishops in the cathedral and national temple of Wawel, where he will venerate the relics of St Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr.
The Pope's schedule includes a visit to Czestochowa. On Thursday 28 July he will be present at the Eucharist for the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland. Then he will greet the participants in World Youth Day at Błonia. Near the park, one of the largest city parks in Europe, there will be the so-called "area of reconciliation", with hundreds of confessionals and a large tent for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
On Friday 29 July Pope Francis will visit the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he will pray at the so-called "wall of death" in block number 11, and in the cell of St Maximilian Kolbe. That evening he will preside over the Way of the Cross, with the emphasis on the Merciful Christ who is seen today in the life of the Church through so many works of charity.
On the morning of 30 July, Pope Francis will arrive at the Shrine of Divine Mercy. He will pray in the chapel of Sr Faustina, then pass through the Holy Door of the Basilica of Lagiewniki and celebrate the Eucharist with priests and religious from all over Poland. Then, together with the young people, he will reach the Shrine of St John Paul II. It is worth remembering that both shrines are jubilee churches, where participants can pass through the Door of Mercy as part of the Pilgrimage of Mercy.
WYD 2016 will end in Brzegi, on a plateau of 200 hectares called "Campus Misericordiae" where the evening vigil and the closing Mass will take place.
During the vigil the young people from different countries will discuss the problems of their generation: unemployment, addictions, persecution ... "We will present all this to God, together with the Pope," says Fr Mieszczak who is in charge of liturgy at WYD.
Then the Pope will preside at the final Mass when up to 2.5 million are expected to participate, and he will send the young people out to the whole world. "We can accommodate not only young pilgrims. And so we invite you all to the meeting with the Pope and we will ensure the safety of all," says Cardinal Dziwisz.
