Warsaw, Poland, Apr 27, 2006 / 22:00 pm
George Weigel, Pope John Paul II’s biographer, will receive the Gloria Artis Gold Medal--Poland's highest honor--in recognition of contributions to Polish and world culture.
The announcement was made on April 20, in the Royal Castle in Warsaw, by the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Kazimierz Ujazdowski.
In a letter to Weigel announcing the award, Minister Ujazdowski cited the author’s "monumental" biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, as well as his contributions to "promoting the concept of democracy based on universal moral values rooted in Christianity."
George Weigel is only the second non-Pole to receive this distinction from the Government of Poland.