The late Pope John Paul flagellated himself regularly to imitate Christ's suffering and signed a secret document saying he would resign instead of ruling for life if he became incurably ill, a new book shows.
The book, called "Why he is a Saint-The Real John Paul II" was written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Vatican official in charge of the process that could lead to sainthood for John Paul. It includes previously unpublished documents.
John Paul, who died in 2005, was shot and nearly killed in 1981, underwent several operations, including one for cancer, and suffered from Parkinson's disease for more than a decade.
He moved closer to sainthood last month when Pope Benedict approved a decree recognising that his predecessor had lived the Christian faith heroically.
The book, published today, reveals that even when he was not ill, he inflicted pain on himself, a practice known in Christianity as mortification, so as to feel closer to God.
"In Krakow as in the Vatican, Karol Wojtyla flagellated himself," Oder writes in the book, citing people in the late pope's close entourage while he was bishop in his native Poland and after he was elected Pope in 1978.
"In his closet, among his vestments, there was hung on a clothes hanger a particular kind of belt for pants, which he used as a whip," Oder writes.
When he was a bishop, he often slept on the bare floor so he could practise self-denial and asceticism, Oder writes.
Many saints of the Church, including St. Francis of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena and St. Ignatius of Loyola, practised flagellation and asceticism as part of their spiritual life.
"It is clear the aspect of penitence was present in the life of John Paul II," Oder told a news conference. "... it should be seen as part of his profound relationship with the Lord."
RESIGNATION DOCUMENTS
The book also confirmed that as his health failed, John Paul prepared a document for aides stating that he would step down instead of ruling for life if he became incurably ill or permanently impaired from carrying out his duties as pope.
He signed the document in 1989, eight years after the failed assassination attempt. Its existence had been the subject of many rumours and reports over the years but it has been published for the first time in full in the book.
John Paul wrote that he would resign "in the case of infirmity which is presumed incurable, long-lasting and which impedes me from sufficiently carrying out the functions of my apostolic ministry".
He wrote another text mentioning his resignation guidelines in 1994, two years after he underwent cancer surgery.
In the end, the Pope decided to stay on until his death, saying it was for the good of the Church. Had he stepped down, he would have been the first Roman Catholic pontiff to do so willingly since 1294.
The recent decree stating that he had lived the Christian life heroically was one of the key steps in the procedure by which the Church recognises its saints.
The next step will be the recognition of a miracle attributed to John Paul. It involves a French nun who was inexplicably cured of Parkinson's disease after praying to him.
After the Vatican recognises the event as a miracle, the late pope can be beatified, the last step before sainthood.