DIVINE MERCY
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
Indeed offcially the Holy Year of Mercy has already ended but we believe that Divine Mercy goes beyond this censorship
Not so long ago did the Holy Year of Mercy ended, announced officially by pope Francis. At this time I and my wife passed through the Gate of Mercy in the Basilica St. Peter in Rome on the occasion of the general audience with the Holy Father. The message of Divine Mercy was widely discussed by priest during homilies preached by them. It was proclaimed also in a different, maybe less conventional way. This September the MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski, elected in Lithuania, brought an exhibition to the European Parliament in Strasburg, entitled ‘Vilnus – the City of Mercy’. In the hall of the main headquarter of the euro-parliament 16 tablets were placed, presenting the most important places in Vilnus, related to the image of Merciful Jesus, St. Faustyna Kowalska and bl. Fr. Michał Sopoćko, who was a confessor of St. Faustyna and the founder of the Convent of Sisters of Merciful Jesus. The exhibition became an occasion to promote the cult of Divine Mercy which was introduced by pope John Paul II and also to remind about the Polish history and culture of Vilnus as well as Christian roots of Europe. In speeches on particular occasions and casual talks it was emphasized that ‘Our Lady who shines in Ostra Brama’ is Our Lady of Mercy. Our poet lived near Ostra Brama like Juliusz Słowacki. In the nearby church Stanisław Moniuszko was an organist….From Vilnus, thanks to mentioned St. Faustyna and bl. Fr. Sopoćko the cult of Divine Mercy has spread everywhere and it was the topic of the mentioned exhibition. It has recently arrived at Lublin to my invitation where it is presented in the Gallery Townhall. The opening ceremony was attended by, among the others, its initiator – Fr. Mariusz Marszałek, a coordinator of the Holy Year of Mercy in the archdiocese of Vilnus, as well as my colleague, the chief of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – the Association of Christian Families Waldemar Tomaszewski. Also I was giving a speech. So, I let myself note that indeed officially the Holy Year of Mercy has already ended, I and the MEP Tomaszewski believe that Divine Mercy goes beyond the censorship.
AA
„Niedziela” 51/2016