Poles praise Pope Benedict XVI for addressing them in Polish during his papal trip

(26 May 2006) : Polish Catholics praised Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday for addressing them in their native tongue at the start of his four-day visit to Poland. The pope made several remarks in Polish during his arrival speech at the Warsaw airport and in an address to Polish clergy at the Cathedral of St. John. Afterward, his main texts were read in Italian. The pope, who accompanied Pope John Paul II on his 1979 homecoming and has made several previous visits to Poland, regularly addresses Polish pilgrims to Rome in their native language. The Polish head of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, said he believed the pope was "too conscious of his mission" while addressing Polish crowds and already had extensive experience addressing different audiences. Around one million faithful are expected to attend the open-air Mass in Krakow on Sunday May 28.