– I will tell you about the first morning after I started to live in the Apostolic Palace. I saw the Holy Father coming out of the bedroom. He was extremely focused and praying.
– Did he stop and began to pray?
– No, no. He was walking and quietly uttering words of prayer. Father Stanisław warned me that this is always the case and we cannot disturb in these moments. I had to discreetly accompany the Pope and wait for the signal when he needed something. From that first day, I felt that he was just talking to the Lord God. He prayed as he walked to the meeting, when he was about to make a decision. He once said: “I always pray for those I will meet.” It was the use of every moment to pray and meditate.
– Aren’t you exaggerating, priest? I don’t think the Pope prayed while shaving?
– He really used every moment! Hm… I do not know if I should give this example … I never talked about it, but no one asked me about it either.
In the last years of John Paul II’s life, I assisted the Holy Father in various activities. Among other things, I shaved his face in the morning, before father Stanisław was doing it. At first, I was very concerned. I was trying to shave the best I could and most delicately. I was focused not to cut the Pope while shaving. When I was shaving him for the first time, I saw that the Pope was closing his eyes and praying. At one point, he paused and told me to sing little hours’ prayer (Lauds).
– Little hours’ prayer? While shaving?
– Yes. Little hours’ prayer that is songs about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary sung in the morning. Since it was quite difficult for me to focus on shaving and singing, after a few days I suggested: “Holy Father, here there is a tape recorder. Maybe we should play the little hours prayer from the tape recorder?” The Holy Father looked at me and I already knew it was not a good idea. I heard a short: “No”, the Pope closed his eyes and continued to pray. And, I sang. Later, Sister Tobiana was singing. And, so it was until the end of the pontificate. He prayed even during simple, daily activities.
Secretary of two Popes – conversation with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki.
Wydawnictwo Literackie Publishing House
