Pope John Paul II passes, Varsovians mourn
Saturday night, at 10:00 PM, the metro has stopped. A moment of silence – passengers bow their heads, a woman reaches into her purse for a tissue. Walking out of the metro a few minutes later, the city alarm sounds for five minutes. People begin congregating on the streets and in churches. Every passer-by, men and women alike, has tears in their eyes.
Hundreds gather in and around Saint Anne’s Church near the Old Town Square. Prayers from inside the church are broadcast outside onto a large screen, the words echoing among the buildings. Every minute more people join the crowd. A mass is held in remembrance.
Candles light up the night where make shift memorials with flowers are erected. On Plac Pilsudski in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a giant cross of tulips and candles lays. With every minute a new candle is added, a new prayer is said. It is 1:35 AM, but people are lost in mourning. Silence envelops the crowd as words cannot describe the sorrow in everyone’s hearts.