June 11 is Corpus Christi, a religious and a national holiday here in Poland. It has been observed since the 14th century by the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. The dates of the holiday vary but most often it falls on a Thursday in June, when all parishes hold solemn processions, stopping at four altars to pray and read fragments of the Gospels.
In our special edition magazine: celebrations of the one hundredth birth anniversary of Karol Wojtyła, who became Pope John Paul II. Also: we look at his first pilgrimage to Poland on June 2, 1979 - the first time ever that a Bishop of Rome had visited this country in its thousand-year history, and also the first ever visit by the head of the Roman Catholic church to a country ruled by communists. Many changes in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe followed the visit, culminating in the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Hosted by Elżbieta Krajewska
