Pope Leo XIV joins spiritually in renewal of Poland's Jasna Góra Vows

Pope Leo XIV said he was joining spiritually in the renewal of the Jasna Góra Vows, made by the Polish nation 70 years after they were first pronounced.

Speaking to Polish pilgrims at his general audience on August 26, 2026, the pope said: "I join spiritually with those who have gathered in Częstochowa, where today, 70 years later, the Nation's Jasna Góra Vows, written by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński during his imprisonment, are being renewed." Częstochowa, in southern Poland, is home to the Jasna Góra shrine.

The vows were written during the captivity of Blessed Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland from 1948 to 1981, and set out a program of moral renewal for society. The pope said the program, which calls for the protection of human life, care for marriage and the family and the education of children and young people, should continue to inspire the building of justice and fraternity.

At the same audience the pope paid tribute to Saints Monica and Augustine. "Tomorrow and the day after, the liturgy commemorates two great saints, Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, united on earth by family ties and in heaven by the same destiny of glory," he said. He said he hoped their example would inspire everyone to seek the truth of the Gospel sincerely and with passion.

The pope also recalled Saint Teresa Jornet Ibars, founder of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly, who lived from 1843 to 1897. Addressing Spanish-speaking pilgrims, he said: "Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Teresa de Jesús Jornet e Ibars, a Spanish religious sister and patron of the elderly." He asked the faithful to seek her intercession in asking the Lord to bless all elderly people and those who care for and support them.