Archbishop Dziwisz: John Paul II never approved the fact that Lithuania is a part of the USSR

Yesterday in Kaunas Cathedral Basilica of apostles St Peter and St Paul, Archbishop of Krakow Stanisław Dziwisz celebrated a Mass. A Polish clergyman and former personal secretary of Pope John Paul II came to Lithuania to celebrate the 600^th anniversary of the construction of St Peter and St Paul Cathedral and to commemorate 20^th anniversary of the visit of John Paul II in Lithuania.

According to Dziwisz, Poland and Lithuania should cooperate to defy the East. “The Church is not divided. The Church has always been one, both in Lithuania and in Poland. Polish Church is trying to help the Church in Lithuania. Apart from that, in Poland there are parishes where the faithful are Lithuanians. The Church has always tried to be unity. Cooperation is our strength. Lithuania needs Poland to defy the East whereas Poland needs good neighbours” –  said yesterday at a conference Archbishop Dziwisz.

According to Archbishop, the visit of John Paul II in Lithuania was something very important. “Pope John Paul II always believed that together with Lithuanians we have to fight for independence and he never  agreed with the fact that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia might remain in the USSR” – stressed Archbishop Stanisław Dziwisz.

Stanisław Dziwisz is a Polish Roman Catholic bishop, a doctor of theology, secretary and chaplain of Archbishop of Krakow Karol Wojtyła in the years 1966-1978, personal secretary of Pope John Paul II in the years 1978-2005, Archbishop of Krakow since 2005, Cardinal-Priest since 2006.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/arcybiskup-dziwisz-jan-pawel-ii-nigdy-nie-zaaprobowal-tego-ze-litwa-jest-czescia-zsrr.d?id=61311963

Tłumaczenie Barbara Rożek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Barbara Rożek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.