Poland readies for possible visit by Pope Leo XIV

Polish authorities and the Catholic Church have begun preparations for a potential pilgrimage by Pope Leo XIV, though no date has been set. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk to coordinate the effort, and invitations have been extended on behalf of Presidents Andrzej Duda and Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will oversee the diplomatic side, and a joint working group of state and church officials will be created once a date is confirmed.

The visit would join a history of papal trips to Poland: native Pope John Paul II visited nine times, Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, and Pope Francis in 2016 for World Youth Day in Kraków.