Written by: P. A./A. C
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pope St John Paul II (18 May 1920), on the initiative of the Polish Institute in Budapest, Szülőföld Publishing House produced a colourful album entitled The Saint of Independence.
The book launch took place on the 22nd September 2020, in the Budapest Inner-City Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin with the participation of many invitees. Among the guests of parish priest Zoltán Osztie, was H.E. Jerzy Snopek, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister and Ms. Joanna Urbańska, Director of the Polish Institute in Budapest, co-editor of the Hungarian–Polish–English album.
The 336-page, high-quality publication presents the stages of the pope’s pastoral visits through stamps and postcards selected from Rezső Steindl’s rich collection on the Holy Father. From 1978, the Polish pope led the Roman Catholic Church for 27 years, and during his apostolic journeys he also visited Hungary in 1991 and 1996, the book pays special attention to these occasions. In the course of his 104 trips abroad, the Pope not only preached the gospel, but also spread the ideals of the importance of freedom, independence, justice, and dignity. In doing so, he contributed to the spiritual and moral renewal of societies and also initiated political change, giving strength and courage to oppressed nations. Thus, the Polish pope is rightly called the Saint of Independence in universal dimension, who has left a deep mark on the history of Europe and the world.
At the end of the event, guests placed flowers at the statues of Hungarian–Polish saints St Hedwig and St Kinga – canonised by John Paul II – to be found in the rose garden of the church. The book, published in 1000 copies, was created with the support of the Hungarian Government, Bethlen Gábor Alapkezelő Zrt, the Polish Institute in Budapest, and the St Adalbert Association of Polish Catholics in Hungary.
