A Polish flag and a crowd of his countrymen welcomed the Polish Prime Minister in front of the Holy Sepulcher. On November 22, Beata Szydło, on an official visit to Israel, visited the site of Jesus' resurrection. Br. Dobromir, the Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, accompanied the Polish Prime Minister during her visit.
At 5 p.m., the Holy Sepulcher was filled with tourists and faithful, as usual, and the singing of prayers inside combined with the sounds coming from outside, the sounds of different languages and the calls of the muezzin. In the unique atmosphere that reigns in the place that is a symbol of Christendom, Szydło made her entrance, escorted by security and followed by a large delegation. After stopping to shake hands and give thanks for the warm welcome, she visited the basilica, Jesus' tomb and the mountain of Calvary.
On the morning of the same day, the Polish Prime Minister participated in a private mass, which was specifically requested, and which was held at the church of Saint Savior's. The Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land presided over the celebration, which was attended by about thirty priests, religious and the Polish community from the Holy Land. The Polish delegation also included Poland's ambassador to Israel and the Consul General for Poland. This was followed by a meeting with ministers and some Polish compatriots who were present in the hall of the Custodial Curia. On the occasion of her state visit to Israel on November 22, Beata Szydło also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and both parties signed a bilateral agreement in order to strengthen ties between the two governments.
“The Polish Prime Minister is a person of great faith and she attended the mass with a great spiritual interest. She also was emotional when visiting the Holy Sepulcher,” said Br. Dobromir. “Beata Szydło, in fact, is Catholic and has a son who will be ordained a priest next year.” At the tomb of Christ and at Calvary, she stayed back to pray with emotion and devotion," continued Br. Dobromir. The Polish delegation and the Prime Minister visited the Wailing Wall at the end of the day.
Beatrice Guarrera
