Monday marked exactly 100 years since Polish cardinal Karol Wojtyła, who in 1978 became Pope John Paul II, was born in the southern Polish town of Wadowice.

In a special message to mark the anniversary, President Andrzej Duda said that John Paul II, who led the Roman Catholic Church until his death in 2005 and was declared a saint in 2014, was a “defender of fundamental moral values and the Christian identity of Europe.”

The Polish-born pope “built bridges in a world troubled by divisions and conflicts,” Duda also said.

He added that John Paul II’s “teachings and testimony still touch the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world, providing an inspiration for many religious, social, scientific and cultural initiatives.”

Duda also said in his message that Karol Wojtyła was a man of deep faith who “looked ahead with hope into the future of Poland, Europe and the world.”

While “shaping this future, we will always remember the greatest among us—the pope of freedom and solidarity,” Duda said.

Source: Polish Radio

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