Pope John Paul II always laughed that in Rome there was not one, but three Vatican. In addition to the Vatican as the Apostolic Palace, where the Pope lives, there is Castel Gandolfo, their summer residence, and, as the Pope joked with a hint of black humor, the Gemelli clinic, where he spent a total of more than five months until the summer of 2002. However, this is not entirely true, because there were not three, but four Vatican. For, there was another center of power, having a great influence on the Pope – the church of St. Stanislaus B.M. at via della Botteghe Oscure, Polish church in Rome. This essentially tiny church, erected in 1580 by the Polish Cardinal Stanisław Hozjusz, was adjacent for years – quite provocatively – to the headquarters of the Communist Party of Italy (KPI). For long centuries it remained in the shadows. Apart from the few Polish pilgrims who managed to get out behind the Iron Curtain, and the Poles already living abroad, no one was interested in this tiny church. The most prominent Roman families divided Rome and its lavish churches into several territories. These magnificent baroque works of architecture were to testify to the power and wealth of individual families, from which subsequent Popes also came. In manifesting its influence, the church of St. Stanislaus did not play any role. Until the moment when for the first time in history a Slav became Pope. Then, unexpectedly, the parish of St. Stanislaus was promoted to the rank of the headquarters of underground diplomacy in Rome. However, for the needs of secret meetings, the church was too small – unlike most Roman churches, it did not give the opportunity to hide in a secluded corner to talk in peace. However, there was a kind of parish center next to the church. Going out to the right through a side exit, it was enough to cross the courtyard to find oneself in a quite large conference room, under which there were rooms perfectly suited for such meetings.
Andreas English
Miracles of Saint John Paul II. WAM Publishing House. Jesuit priests. Cracow 2015
