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White March for Commemoration of Jan Pawel II
Krakow, Poland
7 April 2005, about 4pm (local)
© 2005 Jacek Slezak, Jerzy Rucinski, All Rights Reserved.
the day before Pope Jan Pawel II's funeral
More than 500,000 Cracov inhabitants and pilgrims from all over Poland and many other countries appeared in the biggest European Middle Age market square.
Pilgrims wore white shirts and jackets, ornate with white ribbons. White isn't a colour of sorrow in Poland but in this case it was a symbol of gratefulness. After the blow to the Pope's life (13th May 1981) Cracov students spontaneously organized the White March on the nearest Sunday, 17th May 1981. That time they showed their gratefulness to God's Providence for saving Jan Pawel II's life and the silence was a striking protest against violence.
They went from meadow Blonia to Market Square where, in front of St. Maria's Basilica, a mass was said. In 2005 the opposite direction was chosen. At 5 p.m. the front of the procession, with a student transparent 'We are grateful, Father!', departed St. Maria' s Church.