Pope Francis took part in religious celebrations on Saturday at sites tied to two saints cherished in Poland — St John Paul II and St Faustina, a mystic who had been a source of comfort to him.
Francis, who devoted the day to the theme of mercy, arrived early at the imposing Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Lagiewniki, a district of Krakow.
The 82-year-old John Paul II consecrated the new basilica during his last visit to his homeland in 2002, by anointing its white marble altar and celebrating prayers there. He stressed then his special attachment to St Faustina whose accounts of visions of Jesus have led to the spread of devotion to Divine Mercy.
