The last two pilgrimages of John Paul II were very symbolic – in June 2004 to Switzerland and two months later to France, to Lourdes. At that time, almost 75% of Swiss thought the Pope should step down. And, the Pope? He came to them on a pilgrimage and stayed in the nursing home.
– They must have been surprised.
– They were, I bet, a little surprised, but most of all they were very happy. They could not believe that St. Peter’s successor came to them and lived with them.
– Where did he sleep?
– There was a separate apartment on the ground floor, so that the Holy Father did not have to climb the stairs. It was one of the apartments where the residents once lived; today it is a guest apartment.
– How did he feel there?
– Very good. He never had any requirements when it came to accommodation or meals. He never raised any objections. The conditions were modest, but that is how they were supposed to be. It wasn’t about him sleeping in luxury. The idea was to show old, sick, lonely people that the Holy Father is not with them only by his heart. And, to show Switzerland and the world that old age does not have to disqualify. A little thoughtful manifestation, but above all, the need of the heart. He lived with them and thus spent time with them. There was a welcome, there were conversations. The Holy Father approached everyone, blessed everyone. It was a really big thing for these people.
– And, then the organizers talked about the “spiritual miracle in Bern”…
– Because 70,000 pilgrims from all over Switzerland came to attend a holy Mass in the Bernese fields, and half as many were expected. It was a beautiful meeting; in the most Protestant of the Swiss cities. There were no crowds on the streets, but the Bernese fields were full. The Holy Father was so glad that he even gained strength. He read the homily himself in three languages. And, before that he didn’t feel the best.
With the permission of Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki –“He liked Tuesdays the most”
M Publishing House, Krakow 2008
