It was clear how deeply touched Benedict XVI is, with what spiritual intensity he is experiencing this moment. He emphasized John Paul II’s strong, sacrificial and apostolic faith; he emphasized the love he had for every human being; emphasized his constant fidelity to the Second Vatican Council, regarded as an indispensable compass for the mission and renewal of the Church in the third millennium; finally, he emphasized the ability both to lead the Church in confrontation with the present day and to help humanity – through his deep convictions – to continually find the motives of hope.
I was particularly struck by this passage, in which Pope Ratzinger attributed great merit to John Paul II for opening up society, culture, political and economic systems to Christ, reversing a trend that seemed “irreversible.” So he rightly restored in Christianity – and I quote his words here – this ‘force of hope which has been ceded in some way to Marxism and the ideology of progress’.
I believe that the fundamental outline of Pope Wojtyła’s pontificate could not be better presented. And, what it has left as a legacy to Christians, to the Church, but also to the entire human family. Beginning with this appeal, which he made on the first day of his ministry and which maintained its inviolable and urgent timeliness: “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ!”
In the same hours, on the other side of the world, thousands of kilometers away, something unusual, extraordinary happened. In San José, Costa Rica, a young woman, Floribeth Mora Diaz, began to pray. She has done so every day, especially since she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, a disease that left no hope. But on that day, May 1, 2011, Floribeth prayed even more intensely – seeing what was happening at the Vatican at the time – and summoned the intercession of Karol Wojtyła. When she woke up the next morning, she felt good. At first, she could not explain why. Then, in an instant, she understood. She has been completely healed, as confirmed by doctors.
It was a miracle that, precisely because of this incredible convergence, was chosen, among many others, to declare the holiness of John Paul II.
With the permission of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – “At the side of the Saint”
St. Stanislaw BM Publishing House, Krakow 2013
