The late Pope John Paul II's house in Wadowice has been put up for sale by its owner, an American Jew, for one million dollars.
According to the daily Gazeta Wyborcza the Archbishop of Krakow, Stanislaw Dziwisz, is interested in acquiring the house where Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920, and where he spent the first 18 years of his life before moving to Krakow.
Polish Jews aim to raise the necessary money to acquire the house which they would then like to donate to the town of Wadowice.
"This would be a gesture of friendship from our part through which we could thank this apostle for realizing the reconciliation between Catholics and Jews," said the president of the Jewish community in Krakow, Tadeusz Jakubowicz.
"I do not think this price is exorbitant and I don't think there is anyone who wants to buy the house only to re-sell it at a higher price afterwards," he added.
According to the spokesman for the Wadowice City Hall, Stanislaw Kotarba, all the parties involved agree on the need to maintain the museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II in his native house. The museum, created in 1984, is visited by about 5,000 people a day. Visitors can see kitchen tools used by the former Pope's mother, Emilia, rare furniture pieces, but also skis and other sports equipment used by the former Pope. Drawings and hundreds of photographs recalling all the periods from Karol Wojtyla's life are posted on the walls.
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