Pope returns to homeland
'I salute you, Poland'
May 31, 1997
Web posted at: 10:06 a.m. EDT (1006 GMT)WROCLAW, Poland (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II arrived in Poland Saturday to begin his seventh papal visit to his native homeland. Thousands of pilgrims lined roads and climbed barricades to catch a glimpse of the pontiff.
"I salute you, Poland -- my country," the pope said, his voice cracking with emotion. "Even if I'm living far away, I never cease feeling as a child of this land."
"Every time I return home, I am deeply touched."
President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Prime Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz and Cardinal Jozef Glemp greeted the pope amid a cold drizzle at the Wroclaw airport in the southern Poland.
The 77-year-old pontiff walked slowly from his personal airplane along a red carpet to a small stage. He stood with his head bowed as a military band played the national anthem, his left arm shaking noticeably from what many believe may be a sign of Parkinson's disease.
Hundreds of Poles sang patriotic hymns as they strained against a barricade to see the pope, whose white overcoat stood out in a sea of black suits. The pontiff smiled at the crowd.
The pope is to visit 12 cities in 11 days -- one of the longest tours of his 19-year papacy. Church leaders expect up to 500,000 pilgrims from more than 70 countries to turn out just this weekend in Wroclaw.
Pope urges social healing
Kwasniewksi praised John Paul for his role in helping Poland overthrow the Communists in 1989, and for his "words of hope and encouragement" as the country struggles with free market reforms.
The pope spoke of his "deep feeling" about returning to what he called "our common motherland." He acknowledged the country's economic progress, but also noted the "problems and tensions" wrought from a market economy.
The problems "must be resolved through a common and caring effort by all, in respect of the rights of each person, and especially the most defenseless and weak," he said.
He added that Poland "can play an important role" in shaping the future of Europe.
Following his brief speech, the pope was taken to Wroclaw's cathedral. Tens of thousands crowded the streets along the route and flags and portraits of the pontiff draped windows.
The pope was to meet later Saturday with Kwasniewski, a former Communist who defeated Solidarity leader Lech Walesa for the presidency in 1995 as a Social Democrat.
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