With the second ever papal visit fast approaching, we take a look back at the last time the Grand-Duchy welcomed a pontifex of Rome!
Pope John Paul II landed in Luxembourg on 15 May 1985 for a much-anticipated visit. Starting off the trip, he first held a sermon in the Luxembourg City Cathedral, after which he headed to the red soil of southern Luxembourg, where he mingled with steel industry workers outside the doors of the Arbed building in Esch-sur-Alzette.
Later on, the biggest mass ever held in Luxembourg took place at Glacis square in the capital. Addressing the crowd, Pope John Paul II extended a message of gratitude to the people of Luxembourg: "I am above all happy to have been able to communicate with you, Luxembourgish friends. I know that I will not forget the warm-hearted people of the Grand Duchy."
John Paul II died on 2 April 2005, aged 84, and was proclaimed a saint nine years later.
Watch the historical footage here:
