A person of great humanity and extraordinary spiritual depth, a professional endowed with exceptional qualities, a competent and appreciated speaker, Joaquin Navarro-Valls distinguished himself through his dedication to the Holy See and, above all, his profound understanding in his relationship with Pope Wojtyła, whom he accompanied devotedly in the joyful and painful moments of his Petrine ministry.”
This is what the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, wrote in his message addressed to the organizers and participants of the presentation of the Italian edition of the book “My Years with John Paul II: Personal Notes – Joaquín Navarro-Valls,” which took place on June 5 at the auditorium of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
“Reading the personal notes of a man who served as spokesperson for the Holy See for over twenty years,” writes Cardinal Parolin, “allows us not only to learn unknown aspects of the historical events concerning the Church and the life of the beloved Polish Pope, but also to better discover his spirituality and holiness.” Among the characteristic “traits” of John Paul II that emerge from the text, the Secretary of State mentions “the call to human conscience, the recourse to prayer, and the apostolic courage with which he faced uncomfortable and difficult situations.”
The Secretary of State hopes that the reader, “in addition to appreciating the account of the Church’s earthly life, even in its most daily and personal aspects, can draw lessons from the reading about the complex historical moment we are living through.”
According to Professor Diego Contrearas, who authored the book, “Navarro-Valls tried to do his job as best he could, supporting John Paul II, even though he knew that the Pope did not need his help as he had the gift of communication. But his relationship with the Holy Father went beyond the formal relationship between a subordinate and his superior. Navarro-Valls admired John Paul II, and this admiration grew as he got to know him.”
The book presentation took place in the presence of former colleagues of Mr. Navarro-Valls and current employees of the Holy See Press Office, numerous journalists accredited to the Vatican, and representatives of the academic and ecclesiastical communities of Rome. The Ambassador of Poland to the Holy See, Adam Kwiatkowski, and the Chairman of the Board of the John Paul II Foundation, Monsignor Paweł Ptasznik, were also present.
The book containing the memoirs of the Pope’s spokesperson is published on the occasion of the forty-fifth anniversary of the election of John Paul II, and it is hoped that it will be published in Polish as soon as possible.
Włodzimierz Rędzioch
