He never felt fear of death; even when in the distance there were visible the gates, behind which he was going to meet God. He often asked to take him to the chapel, where for a long time he was remaining in conversation with the Lord. When somebody was observing him as he prayed, the words of St. Paul, who taught how to endure suffering, became clear. (…) At the end of January 2005, John Paul II began to feel unwell again. During the Angelus prayer, on the last Sunday of the month, he spoke with great difficulty, with a sly voice. It seemed that it was just a cold, but in the next few hours the condition worsened. Doctors explained that it was acute laryngitis and trachealis, which was accompanied by tightening of the larynx from time to time. On the evening of February 1, during supper, John Paul II was unable to breathe. We tried to help him, but his shortness of breath did not pass and hospitalization at the Gemelli Polyclinic was necessary. The state of health has improved very quickly. On February 9 it was the first day of Lent. He celebrated Mass, blessed the ashes, which some of them I put on his head. It was supposed to be a time of repentance and regret, but seeing that he was feeling better and better, I felt great joy in spirit. The next day he returned home. Unfortunately, soon there was a re-deterioration. The Holy Father’s breathing problems became increasingly difficult, both during the day and at night. It was sad to see, first of all, how he inhaled the air. His breathing became wheezing, even hoarse. The evening of February 23 was tragic. The Pope was experiencing another crisis that could have ended up with suffocation. His old friend, Cardinal Marian Jaworski, archbishop of Lvov, was present at the dinner. He was so terrified that he immediately wanted to grant “his” Karol the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. At night, the situation became so complicated that the next morning it was decided that he needs to be re-hospitalized in Gemelli.
With the consent of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – “Testimony”.
TBA marketing communication Publishing House. Warsaw 2007
