WARSAW, Aug 14, 02 (CWNews.com) - Polish officials are preparing for Pope John Paul's visit this weekend by banning the sale of alcohol and foods that spoil in hot weather around Krakow.
Officials said the ban will begin on Thursday and end on Monday. The ban affects takeout sales of food items that spoil easily such as ice cream or salads with mayonnaise. "The restrictions are to prevent pilgrims from massive food poisonings," said Stanislaw Pawlus from the Krakow branch of the nationwide Health Inspection Authorities.
Authorities also said 8,500 policemen and thousands of volunteers will be patrolling Krakow during the visit which begins on Friday. Poland has one of the highest per capita rates of liquor consumption in Europe, with 20 percent of road accidents attributed to drunk driving.
Meanwhile, police on Wednesday were searching for a man who conned 4,000 people who bought invalid train tickets and tickets to the Sunday papal Mass. The man collected the cash and absconded with the money. The man, identified by police as Piotr K., collected 120,000 zlotys ($25,000). "The man seemed trustworthy," said a crestfallen Father Zbigniew Zielinski, pastor of the parish organizing the pilgrimage from Gdansk. "He organized the transport. Everything was prepared professionally, we even received phone calls giving references from the members of the pilgrimage," he told public radio.
Up to 4.5 million people are expected to travel to Krakow for the Pope's ninth visit to his homeland since 1978. Over two million are expected to attend Sunday's Mass in a Krakow park.
CWN - Catholic World News
14. august 2002