Beloved of Poles

Pope John Paul II was from Krakow, and we were there just after the one-year anniversary of his death. We found lots of memorials in the streets and near the churches and sites associated with him; some makeshift, and some official. The building shown here is the archbishop's palace. When John Paul II was archbishop of Krakow, this was his residence, and after he became Pope, this is where he stayed when he visited Krakow. The Pope was last in Krakow in 2002, in poor health, and he appeared to greet his supporters at the window above the doorway shown here. In memorial to him, there's a picture of the Pope in that window now, and people gather in front of the building to stare at the window where they last saw their Pope. As you can see, they have also left a few candles.