– Is it true that the Pope was lying prostrate on the floor and that is how he was also praying?
– I can confirm this. I know that after waking up, just before the morning toilet, the Holy Father was lying prostrate in his bedroom and prayed a part of the rosary. Only then he was going to the chapel for a morning meditation; also, with the rosary in his hand; a simple one, with small beads, which he did not part until the end of the day. In last years, when he was not able to move so much, he no longer prayed, lying prostrate. (…)
– At the beginning of your work, you were surprised by the Pope’s independence in everyday life, the intensity of his prayers, and …
– His fascination with the saints; their lives, the choices they had to make, and how they approached the Lord God. He was looking for an inspiration in their conduct and asked for their intercession. Every day I saw this great cult. John Paul II during the day prayed a litany to the Saints. He never forgot to mention the Saints during holy Masses.
– John Paul II’s favorite saints are…?
– Brother Albert Chmielowski, Saint John of the Cross, St. Edith Stein… many others. And, of the living ones whom he met, Mother Teresa. The Holy Father invited her for meals while she was at the Vatican. She was smart, very modest; full of life, energy. At the Papal table, she talked about her plans. She was petite, leaning, but as she started to speak, you could feel some incredible strength in her. A beautiful, strong personality that John Paul II admired.
Secretary of two Popes – conversation with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki.
Wydawnictwo Literackie Publishing House
