Sunday, September 11, 1983
John Paul II in Austria
Hundreds of thousands of people cheered Pope John Paul II when he arrived at the Austrian Catholic Day in Vienna. It is the first visit by a pope to Austria in 200 years. The visit is of historical significance, as it coincides with Vienna’s liberation from the siege by the Turks 300 years ago. *
Talking with young people yesterday evening, the longing for peace and justice, for confidence and hope was strongly expressed. At today’s Mass in the Donaupark, the Holy Father, in his homily, expounded movingly the parable of the Prodigal Son. He compared the return of the prodigal son to his father with modern man’s need for turning back and returning to God. *[Vienna was liberated from the siege by the Christian expeditionary army under the command of the Polish King Jan III Sobieski on September 12, 1683.]