‘No Turning Back’ Now, Pontiff Admonishes Poland’s New Leader

VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II told Poland’s non-Communist prime minister, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, that there must be no turning back from historic changes in their country.

Mazowiecki broke four decades of Polish post-World War II tradition by coming to Italy instead of Moscow after taking office to thank the Polish-born pontiff for supporting the Solidarity free trade union.

Mazowiecki told the pontiff: “This moment is the crowning, the fruit of a long dialogue and today we are seeing the results. We thank you for supporting us through all these difficult years.”