Pope John Paul II, d 2005 b. 1920

Good Morning

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John Paul II d. 2005 b. 1920
October 22

The man is a modern hero. Poet. Thesbian. Theologian. Skier. Anti-Communist. Saint.

The Diocese of Nashville named its new high school (its second) after him before he died. The effect of his holiness and inspiration reached into the tiny community of catholics in middle tennessee. The other high school in the diocese is named for a bishop of the diocese. Before 1992, there was a high probability that John and Thommy would go to one or the other of these high schools; likely one to one and one to the other as was their familial development pre-1990.

Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope 10/1978, a mere 33 days after JPI was elected. The Popes of my lifetime, my personally remembered lifetime, make for a Robert Ludlum novel qua history. John XXIII, Paul VI, JPI, JPII, Benedict XVI. I know I knew of Pius XII sometime during my life but I have no memories of him today.

John Paul II, born in Cracow, Poland, May 18, 1920. In the eighth grade I did a history paper on Poland – a Catholic Country; 95% active Catholics. Being Catholic in Portland, Maine was relatively rare and often associated with the (doubly) unwanted French Canadians in the community.

He made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Nine years from first communion to confirmation in the 1930’s Poland. At St Paul’s parish, second graders, 8/9ish, receive first communion; eighth graders are brought to confirmation. Would it be better to wait longer? My confirmation was fifth grade at Sacred Heart in Portland after first grade first holy communion. Do we need a universal practice for these sacraments of initiation? Our practice for each of the three sacraments of initiation has evolved and varied since the beginning. Is this not best left to the Bishop? Or, better, the parents?

Well, not the parents exclusively: even as Domestic Church. These sacraments are an initiation into The Church. The decision should be aligned: Pope – Bishop – Parents.

Karol Wojtyla went from high school to university – not seminary but a school for drama! Wouldn’t it be inspiring to know how this saint’s holiness evolved? We should have that information. Parents’ letters? His own writings? Biographers who got a chance to talk to people who knew him.

In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Cracow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Cracow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyla was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also clandestine.

What about John Paul’s life makes the clandestineness of his early twenties important to us today? To his vocation? To his subsequent life. Certainly, his papacy was one of visible father for us all.

Ordained in 1946 in Cracow. How much of JPII’s life at 26 was Church and how much was Polish-war? Being clandestine at 22, I bet, helped him survive, thrive in wartime eastern Europe as a priest of great promise.

JPII did his doctoral thesis on the weeks John of the Cross. I wonder if Jim Kinn’s interest in John of the Cross had anything to do with JPII? John of the Cross is a mystic worth the effort to read him, to pray with him, to find a contemplative place with him.

The CatholicOnline bio mentions his guidance by Cardinal Sapiehak then mentoring by the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. It does matter into whose hands you place yourself. Do not believe it is only chance that brought the people who are in your life. Choose wisely. First, choose to be guided. Second, choose the kind of people like JPII did.

AMDG
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