**Duda** Asks Pope for Vatican Invite for Controversial Figure
Polish president’s request comes during one of his final foreign visits.
**President Andrzej Duda** met with **Pope Leon XIV** at the Vatican on Thursday, using one of his last foreign trips to request a special favor: that the pontiff welcome **Karol Nawrocki** to the Vatican.
Audience at the Apostolic Palace
**Duda** described the meeting as “a touching moment,”
expressing gratitude for the invitation. He noted the visit felt like a farewell, given his term is ending. The Polish president also extended an invitation to **Pope Leon XIV** to visit Poland, assuring him that “Countrymen would like her very much.”
Discussions on Poland and Ukraine
Talks involved the situation in Poland, a country **Leon XIV** knows well from previous visits. The leaders discussed the war in Ukraine. **Duda** suggested peace talks under the Holy See’s auspices. Just after seeing the Pope, **President Duda** also had a meeting with **Cardinal Pietro Parolin**, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
Remembering **John Paul II**
On the same day, **President Duda** honored **John Paul II** by laying flowers at his tomb in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A Farewell Tour
This visit marks one of **President Duda’s** final foreign engagements. According to the Polish Prime Minister’s office, the average number of foreign trips made by a Polish president in their second term is around 20 (gov.pl).
Earlier Engagements in Rome
Earlier in March 2025, **Andrzej Duda** and his wife, **Agata Kornhauser-Duda**, visited Rome and the Vatican. During that trip, he met with **Italian President Sergio Mattarella** and **Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni**, as well as **Cardinal Pietro Parolin**.
The request to welcome **Karol Nawrocki**, a figure who has faced controversy in Poland, adds a layer of intrigue to **Duda’s** farewell visit to the Vatican.
