Pope bids farewell to homeland
The week's news at a glance.
Krakow
Pope John Paul II celebrated the largest Mass in Polish history last week when nearly 3 million Poles came to Krakow to worship with their revered countryman. The pope warned that the transition from communism to democracy—which he helped inspire with a 1970 anticommunist speech—had weakened the country’s moral values. He urged Catholics not to separate faith from politics. Many Poles hoped the ailing, 82-year-old pope would retire and spend his final days in Poland, but he has pledged to die in office. On the last night of his visit, thousands gathered outside the archbishop’s palace, chanting, “Stay here with us!” The pope came to the window and told them, “Unfortunately, this is a farewell meeting.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo