Pope Wojtyła carried out a gradual but profound renewal, both in the direction of Vatican II and in response to the needs that have emerged in the life of Christian communities and, more generally, in the history of humanity, a history often marked by conflicts and tragedies. The proof of this is the fact that the Catholic Church, precisely as a result of the mission of evangelization that already embraces all the peoples of the world, has once again become a Church bathed in the blood of martyrs, Christians killed in hatred of the faith, but also of the growing number killed because of their solidarity with the poorest, most defenseless.
Of course, the aforementioned renewal carried out by John Paul II was not and could not be a revolution. And yet there have been changes, and it is visible. For example, progress on the spiritual level, especially the biblical-liturgical level, and on the other hand, less and less ballast of bureaucracy, clericalism, and also a certain moralism, which is a negative version of true Christian morality. And further, greater quality between the different components of the People of God, from parishes to new movements, to young people, to popular religiosity. Moreover, the Church openly confronts modernity, with secularity, more attentive to the freedom and subjectivity of man. Presence in society, but understood not as before: not occupying the space of power, but demanding respect for values important for the faithful. A new missionary zeal, with two directions of the new evangelization – towards the South of the world, but also towards the West, especially Europe…
With the permission of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – “At the side of the Saint”
St. Stanislaw BM Publishing House, Krakow 2013
