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Pope John Paul II, who has completed 104 visits outside Italy and circled the globe 27 times, has embarked on his final journey. One of the most familiar images of the Pope is that of him arriving in a foreign land, kissing the ground, and then preaching at an open air mass to perhaps a million people. It is tempting to conjure the image of the Pope kissing the ground of paradise as he walks past his predecessor, St Peter. Only this time there will be no television cameras to film this event. All the cameras will be concentrated in St Peter’s square awaiting the white smoke heralding the election of his successor.
In an interview with MaltaToday published in February theologian Dun Rene Camilleri said: “Many of us can identify with the Pope now. Those of us with ageing parents with health problems can remember them as being full of life and energy, just as the Pope was till some time ago.” Suffering and pain have preoccupied Karol Wojtyla throughout his eventful life.
The Pope’s spirit bears all the scars of the brutal 20th century, a century which has seen millions perish under the scourges of Nazism, Stalinism and unrestrained capitalism, all of which have been denounced by the prophetic Pope. As a young man, in order to avoid being sent to a labor camp in Germany when the Nazis invaded Poland during World War II, Wojtyla secured a job in a stone quarry and then the Solvay chemical factory while continuing his college studies undetected. Ignoring curfews and SS roundups, Pope John Paul II pursued his love of acting by performing secretly in homes. He was also an expert skier and swimmer, and he canoed the rapids.
After the Soviet liberation of Poland, Pope John Paul II finished his studies in Rome at the Angelicum. In 1943, Pope John Paul II entered the seminary, and in 1946 he was ordained a priest. Later on, he became bishop of Cracow.
On a personal level the Pope’s body has also experienced physical and emotional pain. He lost his mother at the tender age of nine. As Pope he survived an assassination attempt in May 13, 1981. After being operated on for six hours at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, Pope John Paul II believes Our Lady of Fatima spared him.
John Paul II, who celebrated his 84th birthday last May, has suffered from Parkinson's disease since 1992 just after an operation to remove a benign colon tumour. The Pope’s health was further aggravated by painful arthritis in his legs.
February 2005 has been one of the worse months for the Pope’s health. On 1st February the Pope was taken to hospital with "breathing difficulties brought on by flu". A few days later a medical procedure called tracheotomy was performed on the Pope. On 27 March, Easter day, the Pope appeared at his window in the Vatican for a short time. Angelo Cardinal Sodano read the Urbi et orbi message while the Pope blessed the people with his own hand. He tried to speak but he could not. On 31 March, the Pope developed a "very high fever caused by a urinary tract infection". But he was not rushed to hospital, apparently in accordance with his stated wishes to die in the Vatican.
Yet the life of the Pope was not all about pain and suffering. The ailing body which marked the last years of the papacy stands in marked contrast with the body of a Pope known for enjoying football, swimming, skiing, hiking, mountain climbing and kayaking. An avid theatre lover, at one time he also considered becoming an actor. Although he never managed to become an actor the Pope managed to address an audience greater than any actor could ever dream of.
Ironically during his last public appearance the Pope struggled to pronounce the words "in the name of the Father", but finally resigned himself to the fact that he was unable to speak.
This must have been the Pope’s greatest sacrifice.
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