Pope Leo XIV Meets with Poland's Outgoing President Andrzej Duda with Discussions on the War in Ukraine and is Invited to Visit the Polish Country! VIDEO
The Holy See released this statement: This morning, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the President of the Republic of Poland, His Excellency Andrzej Duda, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. (See also statement from the President of Poland below)
During the cordial talks held at the Secretariat of State, mutual appreciation for the sound bilateral relations was reaffirmed, and the socio-political situation in the country was discussed.
In the course of the conversation, international issues were considered, with special attention to the war in Ukraine.
Source: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2025/07/03/0472/00867.html
From the Vatican, 3 July 2025
FULL TEXT STATEMENT from the PRESIDENT of POLAND on the Official VISIT with
From the Vatican, 3 July 2025
FULL TEXT STATEMENT from the PRESIDENT of POLAND on the Official VISIT with
POPE LEO XIV
Good morning, I would like to greet you all very warmly!
As you know, my official audience with the Holy Father, Leo XIV, and that of the Polish delegation, has just ended. I am very happy about this. It was a very moving moment for me to meet with the Holy Father. I thanked the Holy Father first of all for the invitation. This is a special presidential visit, because – on the one hand – it is a welcome visit in the sense that the Holy Father was elected not so long ago and began his pontificate; in May, on May 8. But for me it is also a farewell visit in this role as the head of the Polish state – the last one, for sure, with the Holy Father.
But I asked that the new President of the Republic, Mr. Karol Nawrocki, could come as soon as possible after he takes office. I said that it was very important to us; that I was convinced that it would be very important for him personally to be here, in the Holy See, to be able to present himself to the Holy Father as the new President of the Republic.
I invited the Holy Father to Poland. I said that the new President would certainly do the same, but that I was already inviting him in advance and asking him to start considering the dates on which this visit to Poland would potentially be possible. In two years we will have the 150th anniversary of the apparitions in Gietrzwałd, so it will be a great religious event. But the Holy Father – of course – can always come to us and we always wait for him.
I said that I was convinced that he was very, very much expected in Poland by my countrymen; that they would very much like him to come, for him to speak to them, for them to pray with him and for him to bless us and our homeland. Of course, the Holy Father did not confirm, did not specify any date, but – as I said – I hope he will come.
I told the Holy Father – of course – about the situation in Poland. But the Holy Father knows Poland, because before – before he took over the See of Peter – he had been to Poland many times. If I remember correctly, he visited our country five times, also as part of his previous duties as General of the Order. So our country is familiar to him and I hope he will visit us.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to confirm, as I said: a very moving, but very good, very nice meeting with the Holy Father. I hope that Mr. Karol Nawrocki, soon after being sworn in, as the new President of the Republic, will be able to come here, to the Holy See – as I said – to introduce himself to the Holy Father and make this first official presidential visit. And then I hope that the Holy Father will also visit us.
Rafał Mierzejewski, TVP Info: Good morning, Mr. President, in fact, in the first days of Leo XIV's pontificate there was such a proposal that the Vatican could be the place of peace talks between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Did such a topic come up during this audience with either the Pope or Cardinal Parolin?
There was such a thread, of course. Because what's there to hide - the Holy Father asked me about my assessment of the situation in connection with the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Remember that a few days ago I was in Kiev and spoke personally with President Volodymyr Zelensky, also with other Ukrainian political leaders - with the Prime Minister, with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.
So yes, we talked about this. And I emphasized, because the Holy Father said, that here he is very much counting on President Donald Trump to succeed. Here we absolutely agreed with the Holy Father that the President of the United States – considering the potential that the United States has and, in connection with this, its leader has – is certainly the person who provides the greatest probability of persuading the parties to sit down at the negotiating table.
And I told the Holy Father that I thought it was a very interesting and realistic idea that these peace talks would take place under the auspices of the Holy See, perhaps in the Vatican. But I said: there are other places, very symbolic ones, such as Castel Gandolfo, which are known precisely as places, as papal headquarters, residences. And that some such symbolic place would perhaps be appropriate for such peace talks to take place.
And then I also thanked the Holy See for this initiative, that it was ready, as it were, to open its gates, its doors, so that these peace talks could be held here, under its wings.
Good morning, I would like to greet you all very warmly!
As you know, my official audience with the Holy Father, Leo XIV, and that of the Polish delegation, has just ended. I am very happy about this. It was a very moving moment for me to meet with the Holy Father. I thanked the Holy Father first of all for the invitation. This is a special presidential visit, because – on the one hand – it is a welcome visit in the sense that the Holy Father was elected not so long ago and began his pontificate; in May, on May 8. But for me it is also a farewell visit in this role as the head of the Polish state – the last one, for sure, with the Holy Father.
But I asked that the new President of the Republic, Mr. Karol Nawrocki, could come as soon as possible after he takes office. I said that it was very important to us; that I was convinced that it would be very important for him personally to be here, in the Holy See, to be able to present himself to the Holy Father as the new President of the Republic.
I invited the Holy Father to Poland. I said that the new President would certainly do the same, but that I was already inviting him in advance and asking him to start considering the dates on which this visit to Poland would potentially be possible. In two years we will have the 150th anniversary of the apparitions in Gietrzwałd, so it will be a great religious event. But the Holy Father – of course – can always come to us and we always wait for him.
I said that I was convinced that he was very, very much expected in Poland by my countrymen; that they would very much like him to come, for him to speak to them, for them to pray with him and for him to bless us and our homeland. Of course, the Holy Father did not confirm, did not specify any date, but – as I said – I hope he will come.
I told the Holy Father – of course – about the situation in Poland. But the Holy Father knows Poland, because before – before he took over the See of Peter – he had been to Poland many times. If I remember correctly, he visited our country five times, also as part of his previous duties as General of the Order. So our country is familiar to him and I hope he will visit us.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to confirm, as I said: a very moving, but very good, very nice meeting with the Holy Father. I hope that Mr. Karol Nawrocki, soon after being sworn in, as the new President of the Republic, will be able to come here, to the Holy See – as I said – to introduce himself to the Holy Father and make this first official presidential visit. And then I hope that the Holy Father will also visit us.
Rafał Mierzejewski, TVP Info: Good morning, Mr. President, in fact, in the first days of Leo XIV's pontificate there was such a proposal that the Vatican could be the place of peace talks between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Did such a topic come up during this audience with either the Pope or Cardinal Parolin?
There was such a thread, of course. Because what's there to hide - the Holy Father asked me about my assessment of the situation in connection with the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Remember that a few days ago I was in Kiev and spoke personally with President Volodymyr Zelensky, also with other Ukrainian political leaders - with the Prime Minister, with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.
So yes, we talked about this. And I emphasized, because the Holy Father said, that here he is very much counting on President Donald Trump to succeed. Here we absolutely agreed with the Holy Father that the President of the United States – considering the potential that the United States has and, in connection with this, its leader has – is certainly the person who provides the greatest probability of persuading the parties to sit down at the negotiating table.
And I told the Holy Father that I thought it was a very interesting and realistic idea that these peace talks would take place under the auspices of the Holy See, perhaps in the Vatican. But I said: there are other places, very symbolic ones, such as Castel Gandolfo, which are known precisely as places, as papal headquarters, residences. And that some such symbolic place would perhaps be appropriate for such peace talks to take place.
And then I also thanked the Holy See for this initiative, that it was ready, as it were, to open its gates, its doors, so that these peace talks could be held here, under its wings.
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