John Paul II and Vilnius Cathedral
On September 4, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited Vilnius Cathedral and prayed in the Chapel of St Casimir beside the saint’s tomb. The pope also had an encounter in the Cathedral with priests, members of religious orders and seminarians. The Holy Father said he thanked Lithuania’s patron saint for the joy “of being here with you,” calling Vilnius Cathedral a shrine “in which the heart of the Lithuanian nation beats” and “in which the mortal remains of St Casimir are safeguarded.” A marble plaque on a column near the north exit commemorates the visit of Pope John Paul II to Vilnius Cathedral.
