"Secrets of John Paul II" - Antonio Socci
Excerpt: Secret meeting
Sometime around Christmas 2007 I came to Rome. I stopped in the vicinity of urban Risorgimenta wrapped red dusk. I parked the car and walked along the festively lit and decorated streets, amid the careless crowd, to a certain house, which I knew only the number. I called, I walked up the stairs with a strange feeling in my heart. Expecting me on the landing, and then introduced into the room where I was received a Catholic dignitary. He had a quiet voice and carefully chose his words. Since I can not tell who he was, the name of Petrus him.
When an hour later, after the call, leaving this place, I felt shocked, because even though I'm a journalist, that's my heart. I thought of my son ten years. I was thrilled, yet anxious. Intuition told me what I can discover in the coming months, following the instructions received ...
dignitary was very nice and direct. He offered me coffee and a tray of biscuits suggested. This is what he told me to find, and I gladly accepted his invitation. He spoke little, but listened attentively. He asked about my job, about the past. I had the impression that everything that I tell about myself, it is already known. Nevertheless, he followed with interest my words, it seemed to me that he wants to discreetly explore.
He knew my book about the persecution of Christians today, Medjugorje, the issue of abortion, Fatima and Padre Pio. He noted that each of them were repeated, and that on the margin, but in a clear, certain name, the name of the man of my age, my father's generation, Karol Wojtyla. So it really was, but previously did not pay attention. He asked me if I do not think that it is This man is a mystery worthy of examination. "Why the mystery?" - I asked.
long talked about the Polish pope. I mentioned some emotional episodes, his gaze, my meetings with him, his words, facial expression, movement of the heart, which caused in so many of us. Unforgettable was his unshakeable faith, humanism, an enchanting way of praying, his openness to transcendence, which distinguished it from many other clerics. Casually mention an event associated with a statue of Our Lady of Civitavecchia.
At this point, my interlocutor, who knew John Paul II - even though I do not remember the exact words, which he used - "put in a low voice, somehow en passant, a few sentences. Well, the Pope knew already that this will "mark" the Mother of God at the gates of Rome, as he knew that the United States threatens the tragedy of the Islamic terrorist attack, which occurred after September 11, 2001 in New York. Dignitary mentioned that the Holy Father have been predicted, or rather revealed future events, some of which have already occurred, while others only had to make.
I realized that it had something to do, but I do not know how, with one of these mystics, unknown to anyone living in the silence of the monasteries, which have unusual charisma and contact with air. But most of all - and it was quite a message! - That John Paul II himself experienced a mystical experience.
I tried to find out more, get clarification, but my caller immediately brought the conversation to other tracks, as if summoned me not so to entrust to me that secret. It was clear that he wanted to open my eyes to the mystery surrounding Pope, did not want to hear any further questions. He gave me to understand that it has not taken a single word on this subject than what - a seemingly casually - he revealed to me.
I wanted to delve further, to hear any explanation, to understand, but my caller ID, though, so polite, he was giving nothing to force the strongbox. I was interested first of all, he knew John Paul II, whether those events that were going to make sure, or a prophecy of sub conditione, that is, the occurrence of the could still be avoided. Thousands thoughts swirling around in my head, including a parent, a "mystery" of John Paul II.
Is it really this pope, who has been at the Holy See for 27 years and has passed like a typhoon through our history, lived in real time and eternity ? Such extraordinary experiences are not uncommon among men of the Church. Also, in the lives of two recently deceased great figures of our time, Mother Teresa and Cardinal Van Thuan, there were supernatural, and probably this also applies to others. Nevertheless, in the case of John Paul II comes to mystical experiences , which accompanied him throughout life. What are the phenomena of mystical experience? Where to look for their confirmation or denial? These revelations are truly proof that the most incredible strength of the historical transformation from a deep source of contemplation and vast deposits of mysticism.
...
Everyone fell in love with John Paul II, when as a young man, a man full of life appeared, like the morning sun, on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Peter on 16 October 1978 and immediately turned upside down any fixed ceremonies, having so incredible freedom to be and winning smile. Fell in love with the words of the Pope able to charm and personality of millions of young people that went to meet him in all corners of the world, able to joke and laugh with them, the Pope, who was twenty years old was a worker, a poet, an actor who participated in the underground struggle against the occupation's devastating homeland, the first Nazi, then Communist, who was in a secret seminary, and as a young priest, he loved hiking with his students, the Pope, who as a fearless forty Bishop of Krakow opposed the persecution of communist tyranny, who attended the Second Vatican Council, and then, when he was elected to the papacy, like a typhoon that swept the moloch of totalitarian Marxist disarming power of their testimony with often bordering on martyrdom.
So this man of the legendary life, who traveled all the continents, he saw with his own eyes the Eternal One, saw the face of Christ and a clear view of the Virgin of Nazareth, about which so often spoke of all humanity! Indeed, it was breathtaking message in the breast.
For a time, a strange conversation That remained in my memory as if in suspension, although with a thousand questions. Why did no one opened the curtain, although there were so many books about John Paul II?
struck me what Wojtyla wrote at the beginning of his drama, which was developed in the years 1945-1950: "This is an attempt to penetrate a man. The actual form is strictly historical. However, between the same figure and attempt to infiltrate the band goes for the history available (...). Non-historical root in him lies, of course, lies at the source of his humanity. Attempting to infiltrate the human associated with having to resort to these sources, "
How to reach the unreachable areas of the life of John Paul II?" And then some time after that conversation in Rome happened to me, "accidental" meeting. Although very rare visitor'm Vatican palaces, one day I had to go back to the vicinity of a memorable encounter. Coming out of the gate house on Via della Con-ciliazione, almost collided with a blond man with a friendly expression on their faces, who looked at me and said: "But it's Mr. Antonio Socci. Can we talk? I have been following with interest what you said ...".
little surprised, I smiled, thanked him, and then we gave each other's hands. "I am a priest," - said my interlocutor, and I noticed that his accent and appearance indicate that the is not an Italian. Then he explained: "I am a Pole. The priest Jarek Cielecki, head of the Vatican News Service. "We talked briefly about his work and almost immediately afterwards-did not trust the circumstances - I asked if he knew no chance of Karol Wojtyla. Father Jarek he smiled and said: "I was born in the parish of Niegowic, the same, in which he was the first time after the vicar of Holy Orders and his return to Rome in 1948.
Indeed, Pope John Paul II spoke about the emotional memories about his vocation titled Gift and Mystery. Highly amazed that happy coincidence, I took a chance rather trivial question: "So the priest probably had a chance to meet him ...", to which my interlocutor said that obviously, yes. I discovered also that he knew well the priest Pavel Hnilicę, Slovak bishop very friendly with the Pope. It turned out that Father Jarek wrote a book that brings together the witness of his countrymen to "young Father Wojtyla." When I carried it to the Holy Father, that decided to slightly adjust the most enthusiastic peany brave parishioners, using the phrases more modest and more balanced.
...
When after some time, I met again with the nice Polish priest, asked him:
-Is there, in Niegowic, can remember how to pray Wojtyla?
Priest pondered, then replied:
- His manner of prayer was very special. In recent years, almost not let the hands of the Rosary. But most were hit in the eye, and it was from his early youth years, another characteristic: usually prayed, and that for hours, stretched on the floor before the altar. Many people from the parish, and remembers it well. About this habit, moreover, the Pope himself says. And what do you remember the Niegowic with this typical way of prayer? His eyes. When he prayed, his eyes did not perish in the void somewhere like ours, when we pray, his eyes seemed to look for something. A little later I was told that when something important has happened, he approached the altar or to the image of Our Lady of the Assumption ...
-And what did he do?
-spoke ...
-How is he? This means that he prayed ...
-No, he said, as if talking to a man standing before him.
What does this mean? Who talked?
At the end of March 2009 there was intelligence that somehow gone unnoticed, what Bruno Volpe, head of the online journal "Pontifex", conducted with the prelate Conrad Krajewski. Priest Krajewski, while papal ceremoniarzem, he had the opportunity to become very close to John Paul II during the celebrations. Asked how to define the manner of prayer the Pope, as he described it, "Great, deep, I would say mystical, just," mystical "is the right word. 'Then he repeated, clearly emphasizing the words:" He was real, authentic mystic. " What sense to give those words?
Krajewski priest did not explain directly but said: "My memories relate to the liturgical ceremonies, of course. I have to tell you that when they behaved like a man perfect, deep prayer, he became almost absent, did not communicate with anyone, spoke only with God. "Then he added, that every time, before the celebration. The Holy Father wanted to focus on in the sacristy praying for ten minutes: "He was then virtually absent, went into the deep and strong relationship with God ... Do not ever let anybody stop this meditation. This gave the impression of his absence, the total lost in God, the Holy Mass, it's not interested. It was silent, but how deep conversation with God, reminiscent of the great mystics in the history of the Church. "This also was repeated at the end of the Mass:" He thought it appropriate to thank you for the opportunity to celebrate the sacrifice of Christ. So before the celebration of the Eucharist and after the had such a moment not so much a prayer as fervent ecstasy. Like a true mystic. " Ecstasy? When André Frossard asked the Pope directly, as he prays, that a bit embarrassed, "said:" This is a very personal topic. "Why are answered in this way? What secret protected the These evasive words? Who was really Pope John Paul II? What guarded secrets?
George Weigel wrote: "Once, referring to some biographical trials and pressure that they put on his role as statesman, Pope John Paul II remarked:" They try to understand me from outside. But I can only be understood from the inside? ". What is the "inside", how can you get close to him?
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