Before I will say more about Christmas carols, caroling and songbook with a century-old tradition, a few words about another custom that testifies to the importance of these Papal Christmas wafer meetings for Poles. After the death of John Paul II, every year on Christmas morning, Poles living in Rome are coming to his grave. And, maybe in this prayer over the tomb of the beloved Pope there would be nothing extraordinary if it were not for the fact that they are sing Christmas carols to him there. And, they share a Christmas wafer with it. We want to sing to him the Carols he liked a lot, recall the words he spoke to us at the time and spiritually break with him the Christmas wafer – Cardinal Stanislaw Ryłko said during one of these Masses. In his homily, he mentioned that John Paul II was very faithful to these Christmas Eve meetings, and despite the sheer number of activities, he never left them. He recounted how the Holy Father saw in Polish Christmas carols the depth of piety of the Polish people. And, how he taught Poles to be amazed at this depth. He taught us how Polish carols bring us to the heart of the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God – said the Cardinal. – He often quoted the carol “God is born.” Today, we are coming to him as every year to preserve the tradition of Christmas wafer meetings and Christmas carols.
With the consent of Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki – ” A place for everyone”
Znak Publishing House, Kraków 2013.
