– At the end of his pontificate, Cardinal Stanislaw Nagy, when he returned from the Vatican, said two sentences that shocked Poles. “John Paul II no longer carries the cross. He is on the cross.” What was the most difficult moment in the Pope’s suffering?
– Tracheotomy surgery, and later eating meals. The Pope could not swallow anything. He was spoon-fed with mush, but the Pope suffocated. Those moments were the most difficult for me. – When he could not speak, how did he communicate? Was he writing sentences on a piece of paper?
– Rather, he gave signs with his hands. We all knew what was going on.
– A sudden breakdown in the health of John Paul II took place …
– On Wednesday, March 30, 2005, after appearing in the window of the Apostolic Palace. The Pope began to celebrate a Holy Mass. Then, strong convulsions appeared. Father Stanislaus leaned over and asked: “Holy Father, maybe we will stop… Maybe the Holy Father will celebrate Mass later.”
– Was it was at the beginning of the Holy Mass?
– Yes, shortly after the start. But the Holy Father replied: “No. Let’s keep going.” And, he calmly celebrated the Holy Mass until the end. We went back to the bedroom. He lay down, but unfortunately he did not get up anymore. The next day he celebrated Mass while lying in bed. Doctors were watching over him all the time. After the Mass was over, they did examine him. Among other things, they took blood. We have been waiting for the results. At one point, they informed Fr. Stanislaus that there was a general infection of the body and there was no chance of saving his life.
– Who said that?
– The Pope’s personal physician, Renato Buzzonetti. For a moment they wondered whether to go to the hospital. Father Dziwisz asked if we had the same conditions at home as in the hospital. The doctors said yes. We asked the Holy Father what to do. Should we go to the hospital? He decided to stay at home.
– Could he still speak?
“Yes, he spoke in a weak voice.
Secretary of two Holy Fathers – conversation with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki.
Wydawnictwo Literackie Publishing House
