Pope: May St. Stanislaus obtain for us gift of peace

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis has recalled St. Stanislaus of Krakow, the patron saint of Poland and the first Pole ever to be canonized.

While the universal Church celebrates his feast day on 11 April, his home country of Poland celebrates him nationally on 8 May, the date of his death in 1079, when he was killed for the faith by King Boleslaus II.

During his remarks to Polish pilgrims at his Wednesday General Audience, the Pope acknowledged, "Today you celebrate the solemnity of St Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, patron of your homeland."

"St. John Paul II wrote of him," the Holy Father recalled, "that from high in heaven, he shared in the sufferings and hopes of your nation, sustaining its survival, especially during the Second World War."

Before offering his blessing, Pope Francis concluded by praying that the intercession of St. Stanislaus may "obtain, even today, the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East."

During his pontificate, Pope St. John Paul II, who was Polish and served in the "See of Stanislaus" as Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow before being elected Pope, spoke often of St. Stanislaus.