A half-tonne bronze bell that was commissioned to mark the 27 April canonisation of Pope John Paul II has arrived at Krakow's Wawel Cathedral.
Former rector of Wawel Cathedral Janusz Bielanski admires the newly cast bell. Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk
The bell will be hung in the Silver Bells Tower, the cathedral's oldest surviving bell tower.
Wawel bell-ringer and engineer Andrzej Bochniak said that the seeds for the project were sown when he noticed several years ago that there was an empty chamber in the tower.
“The chamber was prepared almost 500 years ago, and it has been waiting for a special occasion,” he said.
“Our ancestors decided not to hang a bell there, and a unique opportunity has now appeared.”
The bell has been inscribed in Latin with one of the Polish pontiff's most oft-cited messages: “Nolita timere” (Do not be afraid).
Born Karol Wojtyla, the future pope lived much of his life in Krakow, serving as the city's archbishop from 1964 until his election to the papacy in 1978.
Wawel Cathedal is part of the city's former royal citadel and it has status of a national shrine, with many of the country's monarchs and national heroes entombed in the cathedral's crypts.
Pope's car
Meanwhile, a collector of vintage vehicles who is driving from Berlin to the Vatican in a car that once belonged to the pontiff reached Warsaw on Wednesday.
Marek Schramm, who is half-Polish and half-German, plans to stop at various sites connected with Pope John Paul II as he drives across Poland, including the pontiff's birthplace at Wadowice in southern Poland.
Schramm found the 1958 Warszawa M20 car on the internet, and was later amazed to discover the signature of Karol Wojtyla among the insurance documents.
He duly had the car carefully restored.
The canonisation of Pope John Paul II will take place at the Vatican on 27 April. (nh)
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