Mary, Queen of Poland at the request of the bishops

"Since the 17th century, the Polish people have given this title to the Mother of God, entrusting themselves to her maternal protection and committing themselves to faithfully serve the cause of the Kingdom of her Son. Remembering the promises that your fathers made at Jasna Góra, in these difficult times you should also faithfully follow Mary's timely invitation and "do whatever Jesus tells you" (cf. Jn 2:5). May her blessing accompany each one of you, your families and all the Polish people," the Argentine pontiff said in his personalized greeting.

Mary was declared "Queen of Poland" by King John II Casimir Vasa during the oaths of Lwów in 1656, which took place after the defense of Jasna Gora against the Swedish invasion.

This feast of Mary, Queen of Poland, was established at the request of the Polish bishops, after the First World War and the regained independence of Poland. Officially, it has been celebrated since 1923. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV approved it and it was elevated to the rank of a solemn feast after the liturgical reform of 1969. The date of May 3 also commemorates the date of the first Polish Constitution.

On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the royal oaths, a new version was drafted by the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, who was detained by the communist authorities at the time. After the release of the beatified primate on September 12, 2021, the Polish episcopate solemnly pronounced the "Jasnogórskie Śluby Narodu" (the vows of the nation of Jasna Góra), in Jasna Góra on August 26, 1956, on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, in the presence of one million faithful.

Ten years later, on May 3, 1966, the celebrations of the millennium of Poland's baptism took place in Częstochowa. The act of surrendering to the Mother of God and asking for her protection for the next 1000 years was then solemnly proclaimed.

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