Pope thanks Poles for clinging to faith in difficult times

By Philip Pullella CZESTOCHOWA, Poland (Reuters) - Pope Francis prayed on Thursday before Poland's holiest icon - the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora - and said outdoor Mass for a congregation numbering in the tens of thousands, thanking Poles for holding on to their faith in difficult times. Francis praised what he called "the contagious power of a genuine faith, passed down from family to family" in Poland, which is about 98 percent Catholic. Poland is renowned for keep its Catholic flame burning