Thousands of Poles stream to churches to pray for Pope

The condition of Pope John Paul 2nd continues to be a cause of grave concern with the Vatican describing his condition as "grave." Across Central Europe believers have been preparing themselves for the worst. In Slovakia the head of the Conference of Slovak Bishops urged believers to pray and in Austria a special service was planned for St Stephens Cathedral where already on Friday dozens were lighting candles. In his native Poland, thousands of people have been streaming into churches to pray for the Pope.

Pope John Paul 2nd, photo: CTK

Soon after the news came about the sudden aggravation of the Pope's condition, all-night vigils began in many churches here, and from the early morning hours on Friday the churches in the Pope's birthplace of Wadowice, the city of Krakow where he served as bishop, the shrine of Czestochowa, Warsaw and many other towns filled with worshippers.

All Poles today, believers and non-believers alike, are following reports on the Pope's health with great concern.

"I think, I hope not, that these are the last days of the Pope. It's awful. I don't know how to say is in words."

"It's a very sad situation for me and I hope the Pope will feel better in the next few days."

"We are all concerned about his health and - his life. This man means a lot for every Pole. He changed a lot in our history. He's the greatest person in our history and everyone is concerned about his health."

Danuta Michalowska, an actress who worked in a theatre company with the Pope in his student days, says that a week ago she received a personal letter from him.

Pray for the pope, photo: CTK

"He replied immediately to my letter of a few weeks ago. I'm amazed that his letter is written in such a cheerful mood. It speaks so much about his strong will to be with the people."

The Polish Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur, who's been living in Rome for many years, told an Italian news agency that the Pope 'is fading serenely'. Jonathan Luxmoore, a prominent writer on religious affairs.

"It certainly looks that way. I think there will be a great shock attached to this, however well the people feel they've been prepared because simply knowing that the end has come will be a considerable psychological point. It'll be different than the long period of waiting, this long farewell which we've bid to the Pope for the last few weeks and months."

Polish bishops have called for ardent prayers for the Pope's recovery. The Papal nuncio in Warsaw, Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk speaks of the need for solidarity with the Pope.

"We should be now be filled above all with charity, and be in solidarity with the Holy Father at this stage of his life. At a time when we can also see his suffering as a great testimony to faith."

According to Father David Sullivan of the Society for the Missionaries of Africa in Lublin, eastern Poland, in recent weeks the Pope taught the people a lot about the dignity of human suffering.

Pope John Paul 2nd, photo: CTK

"The Pope has frequently spoken about this. He has been for many years a witness to what he says. He has spoken about the dignity of sick people, and he's a witness that a human person, even when suffering, dying, when from a human point of view his life is worth little, is something of great value in the eyes of God. The Pope is a living witness to this."

There is awareness in Poland that the Pope's departure will place the church in a entirely new situation. Jonathan Luxmoore believes that this is particularly true of the church in Poland.

"The Pope has been the ever-present figure for two generations of Poles, people who've been through university are well on with their careers, for their entire lives the Pope has been in the Vatican, so it will be a considerable psychological shift, a feeling that the greatest authority in the Polish church has been removed. Quite how ordinary Catholics will react will be an interesting thing to watch."

Solidarity leader Lech Walesa has said he prays for an improvement in the Pope's condition. The world and Poland need him very much, he said.