May 1 Rally in Warsaw Cancelled to Honor John Paul II Beatification

A portrait of John Paul II, composed of 105,000 photographs sent earlier in by people from Poland and abroad hanged on the National Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, Poland, 1 May 2011 on the day of the late pope beatification. EPA/BGNES

The traditional Labor Day rally on May 1 in Warsaw was called off Sunday in order to honor the beatification of Pope John Paul II on that same day.

Not only are Poles traditionally devoutly catholic, but John Paul himself was one of them, being born Karol J?zef Wojty?a in Wadowice, Poland.

"We prefered not to organize the rally, for we feared some might take it as a demonstration against the Pope, something that we are not intending," stated the office of the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions.

The speaker nevertheless emphasized that this is pure coincidence and May 1 rallies will continue to be held starting again next year.

Labor Day rallies were nevertheless held in other cities around the homeland of Pope John Paul II.

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