"Na zdrowie Canadians jestes wspanialy!"
Pope used belt to whip himself
John Paul II practised self-mortification, often slept on bare floor to feel closer to Jesus, author says
Nicole Winfield
Wednesday, January 27 2010
Pope John Paul II listens to Prime Minister Jean Chretien greet him in a special ceremony in a hanger after arriving at Pearson International Airport in Toronto to kick of events leading into World Youth Day, July 23, 2002. (STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO)
VATICAN CITY (Associated Press) –Pope John Paul II whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and slept on the floor as acts of penitence and to bring him closer to Christian perfection, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading his sainthood case.
The book Why He's a Saint also includes previously unpublished speeches and documents written by John Paul, including one 1989 memo in which he said he would resign if he became incapacitated.
The book also reported for the first time that John Paul forgave his would-be assassin in the ambulance on the way to the hospital moments after he was shot on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter's Square. And it reported that he initially thought his attacker was a member of the Italian terrorist organization the Red Brigades.
The book, written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the main promoter for John Paul's canonization cause, was released Tuesday. It was based on the testimony of 114 witnesses and boxes of documentation Oder gathered on John Paul's life to support the case.
At a news conference Tuesday, Oder defended John Paul's practice of self-mortification, which some faithful use to remind them of the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
"It's an instrument of Christian perfection," Oder said, responding to questions about how such a practice could be condoned considering Catholic teaching holds that the human body is a gift from God.
In the book, Oder wrote that John Paul frequently denied himself food – especially during the holy season of Lent – and "frequently spent the night on the bare floor," messing up his bed in the morning so he wouldn't draw attention to his act of penitence.
"But it wasn't limited to this. As some members of his close entourage in Poland and in the Vatican were able to hear with their own ears, John Paul flagellated himself. In his armoire, amid all the vestments and hanging on a hanger, was a belt which he used as a whip and which he always brought to Castel Gandolfo," the papal retreat where John Paul vacationed.
While there had long been rumours that John Paul practised self-mortification, the book provides the first confirmation and concludes he did so as an example of his faith.
Many saints, including St. Francis of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena and St. Ignatius of Loyola, practised flagellation and asceticism as part of their spiritual life.
John Paul, who died in 2005, moved closer to sainthood last month when Pope Benedict approved a decree recognizing that his predecessor had lived the Christian faith heroically.
The Vatican must now confirm that a miracle attributed to John Paul's intercession occurred in order for him to be beatified – a step many Vatican watchers suggested may come as early as October. Oder declined to speculate on a date.
With files from Reuters
The book Why He's a Saint also includes previously unpublished speeches and documents written by John Paul, including one 1989 memo in which he said he would resign if he became incapacitated.
The book also reported for the first time that John Paul forgave his would-be assassin in the ambulance on the way to the hospital moments after he was shot on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter's Square. And it reported that he initially thought his attacker was a member of the Italian terrorist organization the Red Brigades.
The book, written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the main promoter for John Paul's canonization cause, was released Tuesday. It was based on the testimony of 114 witnesses and boxes of documentation Oder gathered on John Paul's life to support the case.
At a news conference Tuesday, Oder defended John Paul's practice of self-mortification, which some faithful use to remind them of the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
"It's an instrument of Christian perfection," Oder said, responding to questions about how such a practice could be condoned considering Catholic teaching holds that the human body is a gift from God.
In the book, Oder wrote that John Paul frequently denied himself food – especially during the holy season of Lent – and "frequently spent the night on the bare floor," messing up his bed in the morning so he wouldn't draw attention to his act of penitence.
"But it wasn't limited to this. As some members of his close entourage in Poland and in the Vatican were able to hear with their own ears, John Paul flagellated himself. In his armoire, amid all the vestments and hanging on a hanger, was a belt which he used as a whip and which he always brought to Castel Gandolfo," the papal retreat where John Paul vacationed.
While there had long been rumours that John Paul practised self-mortification, the book provides the first confirmation and concludes he did so as an example of his faith.
Many saints, including St. Francis of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena and St. Ignatius of Loyola, practised flagellation and asceticism as part of their spiritual life.
John Paul, who died in 2005, moved closer to sainthood last month when Pope Benedict approved a decree recognizing that his predecessor had lived the Christian faith heroically.
The Vatican must now confirm that a miracle attributed to John Paul's intercession occurred in order for him to be beatified – a step many Vatican watchers suggested may come as early as October. Oder declined to speculate on a date.
With files from Reuters
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