Saint John Paul II believed in the power of prayer, especially when he was entrusting to Mary his entire life – wrote the President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, recalling the Holy Pope on the occasion of the upcoming 100th anniversary of his birth. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti refers to the Papal visit to Perugia, of which he is currently a bishop. It took place on October 26, 1986, on the eve of the first interreligious meeting for peace, in Assisi.
Leaving Perugia, John Paul II turned his gaze on the statue of Our Lady, standing on a column. Then, spontaneously the words “Totus tuus – entirely Yours” came to my mind – writes Cardinal Bassetti. The Pope’s devotion to Mary expressed his apostolic call, which is a paraphrase of the sentence of St. Louis Maria Grignion de Monfort: “Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt” (“I’m all Yours, and You are all mine”). This sentence – emphasizes Cardinal Bassetti was not just a pious phrase. It was coming from the very mystery of the Holy Trinity. It combines theological power with dynamic effectiveness. These words: Totus Tuus are like a seal offered to all mankind. Mary remains a privileged path to Christ, of which She was a daughter and mother, as Dante says in his poetry.
Cardinal Bassetti adds that in these difficult days he himself renewed as a plea and as a thanksgiving entrustment of the city and the world to the Blessed Virgin Mary with words that the faithful people have spoken for centuries. “Everything that human relates to us as Christians and as a Church. This is one of the most significant elements of John Paul II’s heritage” – he notes. Then, he adds: “To put together and offer to God, in prayer and action, joy and hope, sorrows and unrest of the world; desire for peace, security, freedom from evil on the body and on the soul. Proclaim love in the name of Christ, as St. John Paul II did means to bear Christ.”
