Life With Karol

After a very long wait and a futile attempt on my part to learn Italian well enough to read the Italian version, I figured learning Polish would be impossible, I will finally be able to read Cardinal Dziwisz's book, Life With Karol, in English. Yay! Unfortunately, the book will not be released until March 11, 2008.

For those who are interested, the publisher will be Doubleday, the same company as Pope Benedict used for Jesus of Nazareth.

Life With Karol

Pope John Paul II's secretary, Stanislaw Cardinal Dziwisz, has written a book aptly titled "Life With Karol". While plans for this book's release in English have not been announced yet, it is being released this month in Italian and Polish.

Catholic News Service has posted several articles about the book.

Here are few quotes:

In his last will and testament, made public after his death, Pope John Paul strongly hinted that he had considered resignation as he prepared to turn 80 in the year 2000.

Cardinal Dziwisz said the pope, in fact, decided at the time to consult on the question with his closest aides, including then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The pope concluded that he would remain in office, saying that God had called him to the papacy and that "God will call me back, in the form that he wishes," Cardinal Dziwisz wrote.

"At the same time, John Paul II also established a specific procedure for giving his resignation, in case he would not have been able to carry out his ministry as pope to the very end," Cardinal Dziwisz said."So, as one can see, he considered this possibility," he said.

The book recounts other behind-the-scenes moments, according to excerpts provided by the Italian publisher, Rizzoli:

-- On Sept. 11, 2001, shortly after two planes crashed into the twin towers in New York, the phone rang in the pope's office in Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.

"On the other end of the line was the frightened voice of Cardinal (Angelo) Sodano, the secretary of state. We turned the television on, and the pope was able to see those dramatic images, the collapse of the towers with so many poor victims imprisoned inside.

"The pope passed the rest of the day going back and forth between the television and the chapel to pray, he said."

He was worried, strongly worried that it wouldn't end there, and that the attack could set off an endless spiral of violence," Cardinal Dziwisz wrote.

-- Toward the end of the book, Cardinal Dziwisz described the pope's final moments."It was 9:37 p.m. We had noticed that the Holy Father had stopped breathing. But only in that precise moment did we see on the monitor that his great heart, after continuing to beat for a few moments, had stopped." Someone, he said, blocked the hands of the clock to mark the hour of the pope's passing. Those around the pope's bed began singing a "Te Deum" of thanksgiving, not a requiem.

"We were crying. How could one not cry! They were tears of both sadness and joy. It was then that all the lights in the house were turned on. ... And then, I can't remember. It was as if it had suddenly become dark. It was dark above me, and it was dark inside of me," he said.

Read the complete article here.

And another:

In the winter of 1981, the pope, his secretary and two of his Polish aides decided to make a "getaway" to the mountains from the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo.

They packed into a car owned by one of the priests, in order not to raise suspicions, and when they passed the Swiss Guard post one prelate opened wide a newspaper to hide the pontiff in the back seat.

Then they drove to the central Italian ski town of Ovindoli without an escort, winding through mountain towns and carefully respecting the speed limits.

Once they arrived, they chose a deserted slope and the pope was able to ski all day long. On the way back, the pope smiled and said, "We did it!" It was the first of many such escapes, the papal secretary said.

In the beginning, no one -- including journalists and other Vatican officials -- knew about the mountain excursions.

And the odd thing was that, for a long time, no one recognized the pope, Cardinal Dziwisz said. He would dress as other skiers, with a ski jacket, beret and sunglasses, taking his place in line at the lifts with the rest.

One of the first people to recognize the pope was a young cross-country skier, a boy no more than 10 years old, who was lagging behind the rest of his family when he came upon the papal party. He asked them if they had seen his family go by, and one of the priests pointed to the trail.

At that moment, the pope arrived at the bottom of the slope.The boy looked astonished, pointed to the pontiff and began yelling, "The pope! The pope!"

One of the pope's aides intervened quickly: "What are you saying, silly! You'd better think instead about hurrying up, you're going to lose your group."

The boy skied away, and the pope and his friends quickly returned to their car and headed for Rome before the word got out.

Read the complete article here.

If the entire book is as good as these several stories, it should prove to be a vivid view into the life of our beloved departed Holy Father, John Paul the Great. I, as a proud member of the JPII generation, cannot wait for this book to be released in English.

One Hand Held the Gun, Another Guided the Bullet

Twenty-five years later the photos of Mehmet Ali Agca's attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II still have a profound effect on Catholics around the world.

Today, on the anniversary, there was a special remembrance in St. Peter's Square. A marble plaque commemorating the day was placed at the spot where the shooting happened.

A procession and prayer service in honor of Our Lady of Fatima was held this afternoon. This evening a fireworks display also commemorated the event. A joyous use of gunpowder.

Dicastery Appointments Released

After much speculation the dicastery appointments have been announced.
This morning it was released that the Pope has appointed the following Cardinals as members of Dicasteries of the Roman Curia. These Cardinals were created at the public Consistory on March 24, 2006:

1) To the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinals Jean-Pierre Ricard and Antonio Cañizares Llovera;

2) To the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Cardinals Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and Franc Rodé;

3) To the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints Cardinal William Joseph Levada;

4) To the Congregation for Bishops Cardinals William Joseph Levada and Franc Rodé;

5) To the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples Cardinals Carlo Caffarra and Joseph Zen Ze-kiun;

6) To the Congregation for Clergy Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley;

7) To the Congregation for Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Cardinals Sean Patrick O'Malley and Agostino Vallini;

8) To the Congregation for Catholic Education Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz;

9) To the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Cardinal William Joseph Levada;

10) To the Pontifical Council for the Family Cardinals Nicolas Cheong Jinsuk and Carlo Caffarra;

11) To the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino;

12) To the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Cardinal Agostino Vallini;

13) To the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue Cardinal Gaudencio B. Rosales;

14) The Pontifical Council of Culture Cardinal Franc Rodé;

15) To the Pontifical Council for Social Communications Cardinals Gaudencio B. Rosales, Nicolas Cheong Jinsuk and Stanisław Dziwisz;

16) To the Office for the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See Cardinal Agostino Vallini.

Photo by Domini Sumus

Cardinal Dziwisz Consistory Pictures

The website of the Archdiocese of Krakow has posted 2,500 photographs from the consistory. Many of these pictures are of private meetings and preparations of Cardinal Dziwisz. It is definately worth checking out.

Watching the Anniversary Mass

The anniversary Mass for Pope John Paul II is just begining. The camera is focused on Cardinal Dziwisz as the procession travels from the bronze doors to the sagrato.

Pope Benedict has just arrived on camera. He looks good. It is nice to see Archbishop Marini at the side of the Holy Father. Archbishop Marini must be feeling better following his mysterious unofficial "cardiac event".

I wish the commentary would stop so we can enjoy the beautiful processional hymn.

The vestments for this Mass are red because that is the color for feasts of apostles. As successor to St. Peter, red is the color worn for funerals and memorials of popes.

I will be live blogging throughout the Mass.

Cardinal Dziwisz Recalls Polish Pontiff's Last Days

"He Did Not Fear Death"
ROME, MARCH 31, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is an excerpt of the contribution of Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz -- the longtime secretary to Pope John Paul II -- to the book "Lasciatemi Andare" (Let Me Go). The book is published in Italy by St. Paul's. * * *

John Paul II's profound union with God and his participation in the Paschal Mystery were revealed in all their fullness in the last days of his life. His body was ever weaker, but he remained strong in spirit and "loved to the end" (John 13:1). For the first time, the Pope was unable to preside over the rites of the Easter triduum.

"I am with you spiritually in the Colosseum," he wrote on Good Friday in the message addressed to all those taking part in the Way of the Cross, and added: "Adoration of the Cross invites us to a commitment from which we cannot dissociate ourselves: the mission that Saint Paul expressed with the words 'in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church' (Colossians 1:24). I also offer my sufferings so that God's plan will be fulfilled and his word spread among peoples."

He was seated before the altar of his private chapel; he followed the celebration on a television screen and prayed. At the 14th Station, he took the crucifix in his hands and brought it close to his face marked by suffering, as if, like Peter, he wished to say: "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you" (John 21:17).

The love of Christ, stronger than death, comforted him in spirit and he would have liked to express it on Easter Sunday, when he appeared at midday to impart the blessing "urbi et orbi." Because of the commotion and suffering, however, he was unable to say the words; he only made the sign of the cross with his hand and responded with a gesture to the faithful's greetings.

This gesture of powerlessness, of suffering and of paternal love, as well as the moving silence of the Successor of Peter, left an indelible mark in the hearts of men throughout the world. The Holy Father was also profoundly disconcerted by this event. After moving away from the window, he said: "Perhaps it would be better that I die, if I cannot fulfill the mission entrusted to me," and immediately added: "Thy will be done ... 'Totus tuus.'" In his life he never wished for anything else.

He did not fear death. During his whole life he had Christ as his guide and knew that he was going to him. During the celebrations of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 he wrote in his testament: "I pray that he will call me when he himself wishes. 'If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord ... we are the Lord's' (Romans 14:8)." He had always been profoundly aware that man, at the end of the earthly pilgrimage, is not condemned to fall into darkness, into an existential void or into an abyss of nothingness, but is called to the encounter with the best of Fathers, who lovingly embraces his own son in his arms, to give him the fullness of life in the Most Holy Trinity.

Knowing that for him the time was drawing close to pass into eternity, in agreement with the doctors he decided not to go to the hospital, but to remain in the Vatican, where he was assured of the indispensable medical care. He wished to suffer and to die in his home, staying close to the tomb of the Apostle Peter. The last day of his life -- Saturday, April 2 -- he took leave of his closest aides from the Roman Curia. He took part in the prayer that continued at his bedside, despite his high fever and extreme weakness. In the afternoon, at a certain moment, he said: "Let me go to the Father's house."
Translation by Zenit

Cardinal Dziwisz

With this being the eve of the anniversary of Pope John Paul's death I have been watching some of the coverage on CNN. I can't help but feel sad when I see Cardinal Dziwisz talk about the Holy Father's last days. His love for him is always evident and was especially evident at the consistory. Arturo Mari and crew took a picture of Cardinal Dziwisz kissing John Paul's tomb which I saw at his office. It is such a moving picture.
I bought the picture of him recieving the biretta from Pope Benedict and both of them have tears in their eyes. It is such a moving picture. Pope John Paul was blessed with a wonderful, loving friend. I hope that Pope Benedict has a friend as good as Stanislaw Dziwisz was to Pope John Paul II.
Photo by Domini Sumus

One Year

It is hard to believe that it has been almost one year since Pope John Paul the Great passed away. I don't think I will ever forget the immense sadness that filled me. It felt like I had lost a member of my family and in a very real sense I had. We all did. We are members of the family of God, the Catholic family and the human family.

While I was in Rome I had an immense longing to visit Pope John Paul's tomb but I was unable to find the entrance. Whenever I asked for directions I was always given the strangest directions that I couldn't follow. Very early in the morning we decided to visit St. Peter's Basilica. As we walked to the basilica I prayed, "God, if I am not supposed to visit John Paul's grave it is ok. It's up to you, but I really really want to. Just tell me and I will do whatever you want." Then I lifted my head and there was a sign right in front of me. Yes, a real sign. White paper with black letters taped to a pole. The sign said, "Tomb of Pope John Paul II" with an arrow pointing where to go. The sign hadn't been there before. We followed the sign and people were gathering at the tomb for Mass. It was such a surprise to see that Cardinal Dziwisz was celebrating Mass at the tomb. Then I knew that I was supposed to be at that Mass. To pay my respects to the Pope who helped shape my faith and love for the Church, the only Pope I ever knew at a Mass celebrated by his closest friend was a special blessing. I was honored to be in attendance.
Photo from the Archdiocese of Krakow

Cardinal Dziwisz

I was reading some old posts on Amy Welborn's blog and there were a few responses that bothered me. She had written about Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz being appointed to head the Archdiocese of Krakow. There were several vile replies to her post. It seems there are those who don't believe he has the experience or qualifications. I hope those sentiments are fading now that he is joining the College of Cardinals.

Cardinal-Designate Dziwisz has a wealth of knowledge gleaned from one of the best teachers possible, Pope John Paul II. I imagine that what he lacks in parish experience, he gained in worldwide pastoral experience. There have been few popes as pastoral as John Paul II. Being one of the only people with true 24 hour access to him and obviously serving as a trusted advisor and a true friend. I think Cardinal--Designate Dziwisz is well qualified to serve as Archbishop of Krakow and in the College of Cardinals.

Cardinal-Designate Dziwisz didn't plan on this path when he was ordained to the priesthood, but God and a bishop named Karol Wojtyla has other plans for him. He served Bishop Wojtyla during dangerous times in Poland and followed him faithfully when he was elected Pope. I am sure it was heartbreaking to leave his home and country.

He caught John Paul when he was shot and cradled him in his arms as the popemobile rushed to the waiting ambulance. He traveled around the world with him and was a listening ear to ideas and problems. He was a trusted advisor to John Paul. He administered the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum during John Paul's last days and sat by his bedside, holding his hand as he died. The images of him sitting unwavering during John Paul's wake present us with the true closeness between them. He looked like a son. Exhausted by caring for someone so ill, happy to see him at rest and heartbroken at the loss of a dear friend. The image of his brushing away his tears is one that will remain with me always.

Cardinal-Designate Dziwisz is well qualified and deserves his red hat. Congratulations! Sto-lat!

Benedict XVI names 15 new cardinals

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2006 (VIS) - After the general audience today, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Benedict XVI announced the names of 15 prelates who will be created cardinals in a concistory due to be held on March 24.

Following the March 24 concistory, the first of his pontificate, the College of Cardinals will number 193 members of whom 120, under the age of 80, will be electors.

In announcing the names, the Holy Father affirmed that today's feast is "a particularly appropriate day" to announce the concistory because cardinals "have the duty to help and support Peter's Successor in carrying out the apostolic task entrusted to him in the service of the Church."

"The cardinals," Benedict XVI went on, "constitute a sort of Senate around the Pope upon which he relies in carrying out the duties associated with his ministry as 'permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion'."

The Holy Father also made it clear that with the new appointments he wished "to make up the number of 120 cardinal electors, as established by Pope Paul VI."

Given below is a list of the new cardinal electors:

- Archbishop William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Archbishop Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

- Archbishop Agostino Vallini, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

- Archbishop Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino of Caracas, Venezuela.

- Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales of Manila, Philippines.

- Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, France.

- Archbishop Antonio Canizares Llovera of Toledo, Spain.

- Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, Korea.

- Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., of Boston, U.S.A.

- Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland.

- Archbishop Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy.

- Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B. of Hong Kong, China

The Pope then announced that he had also decided to elevate to the dignity of cardinal "three prelates over the age of 80, in consideration of the service they have rendered to the Church with exemplary faithfulness and admirable dedication." They are:

- Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls.

- Archbishop Peter Poreku Dery, emeritus of Tamale, Ghana.

- Fr. Albert Vanhoye S.J., formerly rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

The new cardinals, said the Pope, "well reflect the universality of the Church. In fact, they come from various parts of the world and undertake different duties in the service of the People of God. I invite you to raise a special prayer to the Lord for them, that He may concede them the grace necessary to carry out their mission with generosity."

In closing, the Holy Father expressed his intention to preside at a concelebration with the new Cardinals on the day following the concistory, March 25 and Solemnity of the Annunciation. "For that occasion I will invite all members of the College of Cardinals, with whom I also intend to hold a meeting of reflection and prayer on March 23," the day prior to the concistory.