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Vatican City, 15th March 2007 (CNA).- In the
wake of the recent announcement of the April 2nd presentation of the
diocesan phase of John Paul II’s cause for beatification, the late Pope’s
former secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, revealed that in his
judgment, the secret of the widespread devotion to him is the love he showed
for man and for the infinite, as well as his love for the people.
“How can we explain these lines that form
every day before the tomb of John Paul II. These people are not coming to
visit a dead person, they are going to meet the Pope, to reflect more deeply
on the message he left us, to take something of him,” the Cardinal said on
Vatican Radio.
“If I could use one word: the secret of all of
this is love, love that does not cease with death. This love has remained
here. The love of the Pope for man: in man he always saw God; and love for
the infinite. At the same time the love of the people for the Pope has also
remained, especially the love of young people, whom he always loved. It’s a
mystery, that’s how our faith is,” Cardinal Dziwisz said.
Asked if the spiritual dimension of John Paul
II could be “the strongest character of his personality,” Cardinal Dziwisz
responded, “Certainly. His great strength, and especially when his physical
strength began to fail him, was his spiritual strength, a strength that came
from his union with God. During his entire life he sought out God and had
the great privilege of discovering in his life the value of prayer. I think
that young people are looking for God, and they have found in him what
mankind today is searching for, because he was full of God.”
“Today still we hear the cry that was made
during his funeral: ‘Santo Subito’ (make him a saint soon),” the Cardinal
noted. “The people do not want to forget him and they want to have him even
closer, honored on the altar. This is truly a phenomenon that is clearly
seen and does not cease.”
The current Archbishop of Krakow also recalled
the heroic way in which John Paul II faced the suffering of his final
years. “I was with him. He dedicated himself, he offered himself totally
to others. But Providence had foreseen this Cross, which the Pope carried
in an edifying way,” he said in conclusion.
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