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Frank Zammit: Ġwanni Pawlu II – It-Triq tal-Qdusija. Klabb Kotba Maltin, 2013. 114 pp.
In view of the imminent canonisation of Pope John Paul II, on the same day as that of Pope John XXIII, it is to be expected that some publication or other will be launched to render the occasion more memorable.
Writer Frank Zammit here gives an account of the life of Pope John Paul II, relying on his experiences at the Vatican. Zammit, who is regarded as a Vatican affairs expert, has followed closely, over the last 25 years, most of the events happening at the centre of the Catholic faith.
Zammit interviewed a good number of cardinals and prelates and wrote many articles related to the Holy See. He also directed three documentaries for television, two of which about the beatification of Pope John Paul II.
Zammit’s account starts with the October 1978 conclave, which elected Polish Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyla, of Krakow, to the throne of St Peter, as Pope John Paul II.
That conclave was singular in many ways. It was held only after a very short period following the previous one because his prede-cessor, Pope John Paul I, only served for 33 days before suddenly dying.
Pope John Paul II was the only non-Italian Pope for almost 500 years, the last one before him being Dutch Pope Hadrian VI, who had been elected Pope 456 years before.
According to the author, Cardinal Wojtyla was preferred because of his firmness in facing up to the Polish communist government and because of his intelligence and political pragmatism. Being only 58 also helped tip the balance in his favour.
The narrative is made up of short chapters. The author introduces each chapter with a quotation from a cardinal or another ecclesiastic who shared the experience of John Paul II’s papacy at some time or other, or even throughout.
To give an example, Chapter 2, L-Evanġelizzazzjoni Ġdida (The New Evangelisation) is introduced with a quotation from Cardinal Paul Joseph Cordes:
“Il-frażi ‘l-evanġelizzazzjoni l-ġdida’ kienet instabet mill-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II, meta kien għadu isqof ta’ Krakovja. Hu kien beda x-xogħol dwarha fil-belt ta’ Nuova Huta, u meta kien ġie elett Papa kien jgħid li din il-frażi kienet tfisser azzjoni, missjoni komuni tal-poplu kollu t’Alla.” (The phrase ‘the new evangelisation’ was found by Pope John Paul II when he was still Bishop of Krakow. He started working on it in the town of Nuova Huta, and when he became Pope, he used to say that the phrase meant action, a common mission of all the people of God.)
Pope John Paul II was chosen Pope after the eighth count on October 16, 1978, and he guided the universal Catholic Church for 26 years. Zammit traces this period of time, highlighting the many successes and sacrifices which densely dot this papacy.
The Pope was deeply devoted to the Virgin Mary. He had been attracted by Marian sanctuaries since early childhood. When he was anointed auxiliary bishop, for his coat of arms he chose the cross, the letter M and the words ‘Totus Tuus’ (I am all yours).
Zammit managed to interview a good number of cardinals and prelates and wrote many articles related to the Holy See
He also adopted these words at the beginning of his pontificate. Very soon after his election as Pope, in June 1981, he consecrated the whole world to the Sacred Heart of Mary and was completeley enam-oured of Holy Mary’s personality,
The author writes about John Paul II as a personality heavily influential on the politics of his time. Today everyone acknow-ledges that the world owes him a lot for the end of the Cold War and the fall of many a Communist regime and country.
An episode in Pope John Paul II’s life fewer people know about is that he was instrumental in peace between Argentina and Chile, when a conflict arose between the two countries about the sovereignty of the islands in the Beagle canal.
A crucial episode that shook the whole world happened on May 13, 1981, when the Pope was shot by Ali Agca, a Turk involved with the Lupi Grigi group.
Pope John Paul II was also hailed the Pilgrim of Ecumenism. He followed the work done in this direction by his predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI, by building a strong rapprochement between the Roman Catholic Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchy of Costantinople.
The author relates how, on October 31, 1999, the Catholic Church signed an important declaraton with the Lutheran church. Pope John Paul II was convinced that the union between christians, catholics, orthodox, protestant and evangelical churches could become a reality.