Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, the Metropolitan of Krakow, announced the decision to start beatificaiton processes of the Servant of God Emilia Wojtyła née Kaczorowska and the Servant of God Karol Wojtyła – senior, parents of Saint John Paul II. After the positive opinion of the Polish Episcopal Conference and the approval of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome, the decision of Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski met another legal requirement to start the beatification process of Emilia and Karol Wojtyła – parents of Saint John Paul II.
Relevant documents will reach the parish of the Archdiocese of Krakow in the coming days, and the faithful will be informed about the commencement of the process and are asked to forward to the Metropolitan Curia in Krakow by May 7, 2020 any documents, letters or messages regarding both positive and negative aspects of life of the Servants of God. Memory of the parents of Saint John Paul II, especially in the Wadowice and Krakow communities, is still alive. A lot of time has passed since their death, but there are still people who knew the parents of Karol Wojtyła personally. We will try to reach them and ask them to testify – says Fr. Andrzej Scąber. The beatification officer for the Archdiocese of Krakow adds that, in addition, “being hearing” witnesses, i.e. children or grandchildren of direct witnesses of the lives of Servants of God, will be questioned, the Pope himself, in a sense, will be a direct witness to his parents’ holiness. There are many texts that confirm that they were exceptional people – adds Fr. Scąber, emphasizing that John Paul II often recalled his father with whom he had internal spiritual friendship. He remembered his mother less, but she was always in his heart until his death.
Fr. Scąber points out that two separate beatification processes will be formally conducted, to show that Emilia and Karol Wojtyła practiced virtues heroically, that they enjoy the reputation of holiness, and through their intercession people ask for God’s grace. This process will not be easy due to the small number of eyewitnesses, but we can already say that the documentation that has been collected, especially regarding Karol Wojtyła, is very extensive and shows that this man in the years of life had evolved towards close relationship with God and this friendship with God was passed on to his son, the future pope – explains Fr. Scaber.
At the threshold of the beatification process, it can be said that Emilia and Karol Wojtyła will be the future patrons of the family. Today the family is in crisis, a lot of divorces, cohabitation, abandoned children. The Wojtyła family, as Pope Francis says, are the saints from the neighborhood – normal and ordinary people, who show us that in very difficult economic situation, during illness, death of two children, you can trust and be close to God – says Fr. Scaber.
