President Joe Biden, the second catholic president in U.S. history, quoted Polish-born Pope John Paul II during his visit to Poland while delivering a speech in support of Ukraine Saturday.
Most Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion that began last month – over 2 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – have fled to Poland. Overall, close to 4 million refugees have left the country, leading the Pew Research center to determine the invasion has caused “one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times.”
Biden traveled to Poland following meetings in Brussels, Belgium, with NATO Allies, G7 Leaders, and European Union Leaders to discuss international efforts to support of Ukraine, said a press release from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
In his address this weekend, the president said “be not afraid,” which he explained were the first words of the first public address Pope John Paul II made after his election in 1978. Born in Wadowice, Poland, the pope passed away in 2011 when he was 84 and was canonized as a saint in 2014.
“They were words that would come to define Pope John Paul II,” said Biden. “Words that would change the world.”
According to Biden, the pope’s message helped “end the Soviet repression in the Central land and Eastern Europe 30 years ago,” referring to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“It was a message that will overcome the cruelty and brutality of this unjust war,” he said.
This week, the White House announced that the U.S. is “prepared to provide more than $1 billion in new funding towards humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine and its severe impacts around the world, including a marked rise in food insecurity, over the coming months.”
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