Record-breaking numbers turn out to hear Pope's message of love and hope

"This visit for us, the Polish people, represents a holy day and a wonderful spiritual experience". These were the words that President Aleksander Kwasni ewski welcomed Pope John Paul II as he landed at Balice airport near Krakow on Friday to start his ninth visit to Poland. "Poland welcomes you, Poland l oves you, Poland thanks you," sang the choir and thousands of people assembl ed at the airport. "Today I bring to my homeland and to my compatriots the w ords: stop being afraid," said the Pope to the emotional crowd. On Saturday the Pope met President Kwasniewski and Prime Minister Leszek Miller to talk about the present situation in the country, unemployment and negotiations wi th the EU. Later in the day the Pope visited the Sanctuary of God's Compassi on in Lagiewniki. The former President Lech Walesa, a former Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki and the former Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, pa rticipated in the mass, as well as 150 Polish and foreign bishops. On Sunday the Pope held mass with almost three million participants in a huge open fie ld just outside Krakow in Blonie, where he enchanted them with his sense of humour. "You are young," screamed the crowd, "stay with us!". "Very well, no w they want me to desert Rome!" the Pope laughed. "I'm convinced that our c ountry is aiming bravely at the new horizons of development in peace and wel fare," said John Paul II, giving hope to his fellow countrymen. (Rzeczpospol ita, pp. A1, A3, A4, A5) A.D.