During the Holy Mass at the tomb of St. John Paul II in Rome, Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski of Krakow said that the heritage of St. John Paul II should be preserved, indicating how important, contemporary, and necessary it is for the entire world. The Archbishop recalled that in His discourse to Nicodemus, Jesus revealed the truth about Himself, telling us where He came from and how powerful His authority is. “He who comes from heaven is above all things. He testifies of what He has seen and heard, and No one accepts His testimony” – the Savior pointed out. He said that those who come from the earth belong to it, and if they do not believe the Son, they are in danger of the wrath of God. But there are also those who have accepted Christ’s testimony, affirming that God is truthful.
The Apostles in front of the Sanhedrin gave an unequivocal testimony of Jesus. But, they experienced that there were fierce opponents of Christ among the people who became angry and wanted to kill them. The Apostles knew what they were risking, and they knew how important it was to preach the truth. “It is necessary to listen to God rather than to men” – St. Peter said. – Obedience to the Holy Spirit requires an unequivocal witness to Christ and His saving work, before everyone and always – emphasized the Metropolitan.
St. John Paul II, in his encyclical Redemptor Hominis, bore witness to Christ before the world and the Church. In its first words he wrote that the Redeemer of man is the center of the universe and of history. The Pope went on to note that the Church does not cease to listen to the words of Jesus, but not only Christians listen to them. Christ’s life, humanity, fidelity to the truth, love, death on the cross speaks to all people. The content of the daily life of the Church according to the Pope is the death of Jesus and His resurrection. By His institution, the Church celebrates the Eucharist, finding in it the source of life and holiness; living His mystery and seeking ways to bring it closer to all humanity.
Only two years have passed since the publication of this encyclical, when on May 13 the life of St. John Paul II was torn. Once again in the history of the Church, it turned out that the words about Christ awakened resentment in some circles, hence the assassination attempt on the life of the Pope. The awareness that not everyone likes the proclamation of the Gospel has never stopped the Holy Father from bearing witness. In all the areopagus of the world he repeated: “Do not be afraid! Open, and even open wide, the doors to Christ!”
It is significant that just five months after the assassination, the John Paul II Foundation was established to open new borders through its activities. Its aim is to support and implement educational, scientific, cultural, religious and charitable initiatives related to the pontificate of the Holy Father John Paul II. The Archbishop noted that today’s world denies the great teaching of St. John Paul II about Christ and man, which has been redeemed and enjoys extraordinary dignity. He said that the Foundation is responsible for fulfilling and preserving the great legacy of the holy Pope. This must be done not to live the past and history, but to show how important, current, and necessary it is for the contemporary world. – Let us ask that we be faithful to the holy, noble intentions that lay at the origin of the establishment of the John Paul II Foundation – said the archbishop.
Archdiocese of Krakow
