Tulips planted in the Vatican Gardens in honour of Saint John Paul II

Tulips were planted in the Vatican Gardens on Tuesday morning, 22 October, in memory of Saint John Paul II, on the day of his liturgical memorial.

The planting ceremony was presided by Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, and promoted by the Embassy of Poland to the Holy See. After a greeting from a delegation of the Polish Embassy, under the leadership of H.E. Mr Adam Mariusz Kwiatkowski, Ambassador of Poland to the Holy See, Cardinal Harvey shared a few words, after which, a message from the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrezj Duda, was read out loud by Małgorzata Paprocka, Chief of the Chancellery of the President.

The tulips were then planted and some bulbs were offered to those present, including Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and former Apostolic Nuncio in Poland, Archbishop Piero Marini, former Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Bishop Sławomir Oder of Gliwice, former Postulator of the Cause of John Paul II and Mr. Salvatore Farina, Director of the Directorate for Infrastructures and Services.