Pope Francis appointed special envoy for Poland days before his death

A few days after his death on April 21, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, archbishop emeritus of Warsaw, as his special envoy for the celebrations of the Centenary of the Archdiocese of Katowice, in Poland.

In one of its last official letters dated April 13Palm Sunday, the Argentine pontiff stressed the spiritual and social importance of this community and entrusted Cardinal Nycz for the mission of representing him in the historic event on June 11 in the cathedral dedicated to Christ Rey, in the city of Katowice.

He indicated that his delegate will be in charge of celebrating “the sacred rites in our name, and urging God’s people about the need to announce and transmit the Gospel.”

Accompanying the purple, the pontifical mission will be made up of the Polish priests łukasz Gawel and Damian Wojtyczka.

“The people of Poland, who inhabits high Silesia, shines with the work of the Gospel. He praises God by the innumerable gifts received and welcomes the protection of the blessed Virgin Mary invoked in Piekary under the title of Mother of Justice and Social Love,” Francisco said at the beginning of his letter.

He also underlined the value of the work of the local people: “This people manifest a deep sense of the dignity of human work, through which each Christian joins religious and devout Christ every day with greater intensity.”

An anniversary to celebrate

The Pope recalled the origins of the Archdiocese, noting that a century ago, his Pius XI predecessor established it as a katowice diocese through the bull Unit of polish unit. Later, thanks to the bull All your Polish people issued by San Juan Pablo II, this diocese was promoted to the category and dignity of metropolitan archdiocese.

In his letter, Francisco encouraged to give a constant testimony during the Holy Year: “A deep testimony of hope, light and life, with the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary of Piekary, of San Jacinto – called the light of Silesia -, as well as the patron saints of this metropolis, Santa Barbara and San Florián, who from the sky custody this archidiocence.”

Finally, Francisco went back to Cardinal Nycz: “We will accompany your mission with our prayers and we entrust you with confident spirit to the protection of the blessed Virgin Mary and her husband San José.”

“Finally, we give yourself our blessing generously, that we ask extensively to all those to whom you are sent, begging at the same time that all allege intensely by the exercise of our serious petrino ministry,” he concluded.