"Mercy requires great imagination, great creativity," Pope Francis stressed as he received Polish pilgrims from Łódź on April 28, 2022. He particularly encouraged the ecumenical initiatives of this diocese in the center of the country, where St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) was from.
Greeted by cheers and long bursts of applause upon his arrival, the Bishop of Rome praised the enthusiasm of the group, which included scouts, homeless people, people with disabilities, as well as the president of the Regional Council, the prefect, and the mayor of Łódź.
The archdiocese was established as a diocese in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV and has just concluded its Jubilee celebrations.
The Holy Father praised the charity work of the diocese: “This is how the Church takes on the most evangelical face, that of the Good Samaritan, who does not want and does not know how to be indifferent,” he said.
The Argentine Pontiff said he was particularly pleased with the presence of representatives of other Christian denominations, including the Orthodox bishop and the Calvinist bishop. "At another time, we used to excommunicate each other. Now, thanks to God, we call each other 'brothers,'" he said, adding: "Ecumenism in the Church is not an option or an ornament."
Throughout his repeatedly applauded speech, the Pope also paid tribute to the first bishop of Łódź, Bishop Wincenty Tymieniecki (1871-1934), "a man of great mercy and ecumenical sensitivity." Attitudes now inscribed "in the DNA" of this Church, he added.
In conclusion, he wished faithful of the Diocese of Łódź, under the patronage of the mystic saint Faustina Kowalska - a native of the region - to become "poets of mercy."
