The majority of today’s Polish papers have considerable coverage of the 30th anniversary of the election of cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the highest office in the Roman Catholic Church.

Press reviewed by Danuta Isler.

Gazeta Wyborcza reports on the Vatican premiere of the film version of the 2007 memoir by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, retelling his experiences serving John Paul II over many decades. “Testimony” tells the true story by JP II's long-time secretary, friend and closest witness to the most important events of his pontificate in documentary form, plus dramatic re-enactments of some of the most important events of his papacy. “Testimony” opens at Polish theatres tomorrow.

“What would the Pope tell us today” asks Rzeczpospolita in its coverage pairing two photographs: one from 1978 showing a crowd looking at the famous “Habemus Papam” headline in a newspaper and the other showing young Poles celebrating the 8th Papal Day last Sunday. The paper also publishes an interview with the Warsaw metropolitan archbishop Kazimierz Nycz  who discusses the issue of moral authorities and of John Paul II’s role in the transformation of this country.

“This is the day remembered by all” writes Dziennik which has asked famous Poles, including politicians, historians, writers, actors and film directors to share their recollections of October 16, 1978. It also publishes a detailed analysis of reactions to the news of that day in an extensive article called “It was the beginning of the end of communism”. The news announced at 6.18 p.m. local time was half an hour later picked up by the world media which sensed that it would mark a breakthrough for the world – writes Dziennik. 

The Super Express tabloid publishes a story of a 3-year-old girl from Czestochowa who was miraculously healed by Pope John Paul II. Gloria Maria was born prematurely and was in a critical condition for the first week weeks with doctors saying she had very slim chances of surviving. “I am sure that my child was healed with the blessing of the Pope,” says her mother in Super Express. Back in the 1980s her husband was given a special photograph of the late pontiff with a handwritten note that the photograph was blessed by John Paul II himself in Krakow in 1983. 

Another tabloid Fakt presents unpublished photographs of the late Pope. Two photos show John Paul II and his long time secretary and friend cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz. They belong to the cardinal who gave them to the tabloid. Fakt also publishes a commentary by Richard Pipes, a historian and advisor to the late American president Ronald Reagan in which he recalls the day of Wojtyla’s election and calling him the “world leader”. “Thanks to the Polish Pope many Americans and people around the world got interested in Poland and kept their fingers crossed for its fight with the communist regime,” writes Pipes in Fakt.  

Also, many Polish papers have reports on the EU summit which is underway in Brussels. Headlines read: “War of the chairs’, “A 100% circus” “President sat next to the prime minister but the dispute continues” referring to the feud between Polish president and premier as to who should head Poland’s delegation to the Brussels meeting.