meeting 2003

“If the Word Has Not Converted, It Will Be the Blood that Converts”
Msgr Rylko closed the Meeting in Rimini by paying homage to the Pope. Krakow and Rome: gift and mystery for the life and happiness of men. Excerpts from a moving testimony

by Stanislaw Rylko, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity

On this twenty-fifth anniversary of the pontificate of John Paul II, the mind often goes back to that unforgettable day, October 16, 1978, when the College of Cardinals gathered in conclave elected as Peter’s Successor the Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow, Karol Wojtyla. And we relive the profound wonder of that day. We go back to that date, not out of sentimentality, but animated by the spirit of faith, in order to understand its import better and to thank the Lord of history for the gift of this Pope to the Church and the world. “From Krakow to Rome.” Why? The title I have chosen for my paper is like an invitation to look at John Paul II’s pontificate through the “lens” of the experience of these two Churches that, twenty-five years ago, were called in a special way, one to give her Bishop, the other to welcome him. The Church of Krakow gave her Bishop, and the Church of Rome, for the first time in 400 years, welcomed a Pope who was not Italian–a Slavic Pope, come “from a faraway country… faraway, but always so near because of communion in the faith and in the Christian tradition.”1 … It was not easy for Karol Wojtyla to leave the Church of Krakow. Every word of his farewell message to his people is heavily laden with emotion. He said, among other things, “I am writing you these words, dearest brothers and sisters, in the exceptional and unexpected moment when I leave the Church of Krakow, the Episcopal Cathedral of St Stanislaus, to assume the Throne of St Peter in Rome. In this circumstance, I cannot help thinking of you and turning to you, to whom my episcopal ministry and, even more, my pastoral work and that of professor have united me more closely for 20 years; and before that, the difficult years of occupation during the war, the experience of physical labor, and finally, all my life since birth. Believe me, coming to Rome for the conclave, my only desire was to return to you, to my very dear archdiocese and my homeland. I carry all this in my heart and in a certain way I keep it with me–all my beloved Church of Krakow, a unique part of Christ’s Church in Poland and a unique part of the history of our fatherland. All this goes with me to the Throne of Peter. All this makes up a layer of my soul that I cannot leave behind.”2 St Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, is a key figure to understanding the pastoral ministry of Karol Wojtyla in the Church of Krakow. For Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, St Stanislaus was a supreme example of the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:11).
In Rome, during the days leading up to the conclave, Karol Wojtyla wrote his last poem signed with his birth name, entitling it “Stanislaus.” It is a touching testimony of the intimate relationship Karol Wojtyla has with the Church of Krakow and her patron, St Stanislaus. The closing lines, reread in the light of the attempt on his life made on May 13, 1981, in St Peter’s Square, resound as a prophecy, “If the Word has not converted, it will be the Blood that converts.” Elected to the See of Peter, John Paul II was able to create immediately very personal ties with the Church of Rome. He presented himself to the Romans and the entire Catholic world by saying, “Rising to the See of Peter in Rome today is a Bishop who is not Roman, a Bishop who is a son of Poland. But from this moment, he too becomes a Roman. Yes, Roman! Also because he is the son of a nation whose history, from its earliest dawning, and whose millenary traditions are marked by a living, strong, never-broken, deeply felt and lived tie with the See of Peter.” When he speaks of Rome, John Paul II often uses two words, vocation and mission. For him, Rome is in many ways a message-city. The Polish Pope has a lofty vision of the vocation of this city that he celebrated at the beginning of this pontificate with these words: “Glory to the martyrs and confessors! Glory to holy Rome! Glory to the apostles of the Lord! Glory to the catacombs and basilicas of the Eternal City!”3 The Church of Krakow, which, by the will of God, Karol Wojtyla had to leave twenty-five years ago, continues to accompany him with filial love and assiduous prayer. The most recent important act in this itinerary took place a year ago, when John Paul II chose to preside personally over the dedication of the Sanctuary of Merciful Jesus in Krakow and the consecration of mankind to Divine Mercy, inspired by a humble religious, St Faustina Kowalska. He wanted in this way to light a great beacon of hope for the Church and for all men–another prophetic gesture by this Pope. Thus, John Paul II has entrusted a new mission to his Church of Krakow: gift and task… gift and mystery…

1 John Paul II, “From a faraway country,” Teachings of John Paul II, I (1978), 3.
2 John Paul II, “Upon arrival in Krakow,” Teachings of John Paul II, II (1979), 1472-1473.
3 John Paul II, “Homily during the rite of taking possession of the Lateran”, Teachings of John Paul II, I (1978), 144.