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Rooted in Our History – John Paul II in Legnica on Henry the Pious
Stanisław Andrzej Potycz
Abstract
Pope John Paul II, during his 5th pilgrimage to Poland on 2 June 1997, visited Legnica. There, at the Legnica airport near Legnickie Pole – where the battle of Legnica took place on 9 April 1241, with the Polish army led by Prince Henry II the Pious fighting against the Tatars – he celebrated Mass and delivered a homily. In the opening of his homily, he referred to the events of 1241, and this article is primarily dedicated to this part of his address. It also recounts the circumstances that led to John Paul II’s visit to Legnica and his reflections on the battle of Legnica and Henry the Pious. In Legnica, the Pope remarked that it is a historic place where Duke Henry the Pious, the son of St. Hedwig, confronted the eastern invaders – the Tatars – halting their dangerous march toward the West. He noted that although the battle was lost, many historians consider it one of the most significant in European history. John Paul II further commented on the battle’s exceptional importance from the standpoint of faith, pondering what motives drove Henry the Pious – whether it was the desire to defend his homeland and his suffering people, or the will to stop the Mongol forces threatening Christianity. He concluded that these motives were inseparable, stating: “Henry, giving his life for the people entrusted to his authority, at the same time gave it for the faith of Christ. And this was a significant trait of his piety, which was recognized by the people of his time and preserved as his title”.
Keywords:
Henry II the Pious, the battle of Legnica, Saint Hedwig of Silesia, Tatars, Mongols, Eucharist, Legnica, Legnickie PoleMost read articles by the same author(s)
- Stanisław Andrzej Potycz, The Brotherhood of Henry the Pious – Its Founding and Development , Społeczeństwo: Vol. 34 No. 4 (2024): Społeczne drogi jubileuszowego otwarcia
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