The news of the pope's death hits especially hard in Poland, where thousands of the faithful had been praying for his recovery, even in the face of John Paul's sharply declining health.
NPR's Emily Harris reports from southern Poland on how the pope's personal history has become woven into the landscape of his home country.
Born Karel Wojtyla in Poland 84 years ago, Pope John Paul II died in his apartment at the Vatican Saturday after leading the Catholic Church for 26 years.
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