Bust of Saint John Paul II unveiled in Nicosia
16.10.2020
On 16th October 2020, the anniversary day of the election of Karol Wojtyła to the Pope, a bust of Saint John Paul II was unveiled in the garden of the Apostolic Nunciature in Nicosia.
The monument was unveiled by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Mrs Irena Lichnerowicz-Augustyn and Father Jerzy Kraj, guardian of the Franciscan community in Nicosia and the local Attaché of the Apostolic Nunciature in Cyprus. The ceremony was preceded by a Holy Mass celebrated in the Holy Cross Church.
The bust was established at the initiative of the Polish Embassy in Nicosia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II and 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Solidarity Movement. It was designed and sculpted by the Polish artist Mr Wojciech Pondel. On the pedestal of the monument one can read:
BUILD BRIDGES, NOT WALLS ...
ST. JOHN PAUL II
POPE 1978-2005
On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła (1920-2020)
a great man of Poland who awoke
a spirit of freedom and solidarity
among the enslaved peoples of Central and Eastern Europe.
The bust was financed by the Institute of National Remembrance and the Embassy of Poland in Nicosia with the support of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Cross.
Due to the current restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ceremony was of a very limited nature. The event was attended i.a. by representatives of churches and religious associations of Cyprus, as well as members of diplomatic corps.
Photo: MFA
