The senior archbishop of the Archdiocese of Częstochowa, Stanisław Nowak, knew Karol Wojtyła from the seminary time. In an interview with weekly newspaper “Niedziela”, he once said that the Pope loved the truth about the passion of the Lord. He used to say, “I am a man of Calvary, loving the greatest mystery, the mystery of the cross.” He recalled that John Paul II loved the Stations of the Cross that he simply liked to pray in front of the Suffering Jesus. When during the pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the year 2000, the Golgotha was omitted from the program, John Paul II was clear. He will not return to Rome if he does not go to Golgotha. The organizers had to give in. It was very important to him -says the Archbishop. – And, he didn’t even want to hear that he wouldn’t go there. With difficulties he was climbing, but I saw how happy he was when he was coming down. At the place of Christ’s torment and death, he was able to be even closer to the Cross than every day. I don’t know what requests he made there. However, I am sure that he carried there some requests the same as he was presenting the requests at the terrace of the house, where the Stations of the Cross were located; just as he used to carry them to the Calvary paths.
With the permission of Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki – “A place for everybody”
Znak Publishing House, Kraków 2013
