John Paul II entrusted his suffering to Mary. Also, he entrusted to her all his worries and his whole life. Every day, he entrusted to Her his papal ministry. He had a great devotion to Her. There was no day without the Rosary. He used to say rosary several times a day. He also liked May Devotion to the Blessed Mother. There was no day without the Loreto Litany. We were going together to the terrace, where there was a small chapel with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. There, together – the Holy Father, Stanisław Dziwisz and I – we sang the Loreto Litany, and in June – the Litany to the Heart of Jesus. For him, the Mother of God was like a Tower of David, Ark of the Covenant and Healing the sick. She was the Queen of Poland, what has a special meaning to him. Certainly, the secretary could not know his private prayers, because John Paul II never spoke about the secret of prayer, but he felt that when he addressed to Her and when he thanked Her, he also thanked Mother of God for what She did for Poland. He thanks Her every day. I saw that on Marian holidays he was more joyful, happy. Not only me, but everyone had seen that.
– Why was that ?
– We always knew that it was an extraordinary relationship, an extraordinary connection with the Mother of God. He trusted her.
– Did the Pope ever say at home why he had chosen Mary ?
– Probably not. The Holy Father has never talked about such personal matters. He never talked about his prayer, about his relationship with God, with Mary. But he knew perfectly well, how important the Mother of God is in our lives and that she is our advocate. I remember correctly these rosary prayers broadcast by the Vatican Radio every first Saturday of the month.
Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki – “He liked Tuesdays best”
Publisher M, Krakow 2008
