|
Pope John Paul II Paths
 Before he became the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of St. Peter, Prince of Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Sovereign of Vatican City - Pope John Paul II was Karol Jozef Wojtyla.
Friends in Wadowice, a town 35 miles southwest of Cracow (Kraków) and his birth place, called Wojtyla "Lolek."
Today Karol Wojtyłas home is museum. It is situated at Koscielna 7 street.
Museum includes Wojtyłas old apartment and neighbor accommodation on 1st storey.
In the museum there is rich material showing important moment from his life:
- Photos from childhood, from school and from youth, from times of priestly
activities as curate, bishop, cardinal, pope.
- copies: certificates, diplomas, documents, manuscripts,
- his published work.
Belongings are in one of accommodation: skis, paddle, knapsack, hat,prayer book, etc., in other - four cassocks: priestly, episcopal, cardinal's and papal.
Following the pope's homecoming to Wadowice, the kremowki (cream cakes) he publicly recalled from his youth became an instant market hit. Kremowki papieskie (papal cream cakes) are now a major Wadowice tourist attraction, although many are imported by local retailers from Poznan and Kraków.
Whilst the future Pope John Paul II was still a Cardinal, it was suggested that it was inappropriate for a man in such a position to ski. He replied with typical wit: "It is unbecoming for a cardinal to ski badly."
It was here in the Tatra mountains that the Pope came for both his Winter and Summer adventures, and it is said that he skied every mountain in the Polish stretch of the range. The fact that some of these slopes were considered wild and off-limits gives you some idea of his exceptional character.
The Pope maintained a lifelong affection for the region, returning several times after his election to the Papacy. He chose these mountains for his legendary meeting with Lech Walesa during the tumultuous Solidarity era. The Pope had an inestimable influence on keeping the revolution a peaceful one.
The Pope's attraction to the spiritual power of the region began early in his life. One of his earliest heros was Brother Albert (recently beatified by the Pontiff himself) a Polish nobleman who abandoned his material possessions and came to live the life of a hermit in the foothills above Zakopane. The future Pope wrote a play about Brother Albert whilst he was still a young man living in Cracow.
To the Highlanders themselves, the Pope is of course beloved figure, and his passing has prompted a great outpouring of grief here in Zakopane. The Pontiff's last visit to the region was as recent as 2002 when he was greeted by crowds of thousands. He will be sorely missed.
Info by CNN Wadowice.pl Zakopane-life WNYPolonia.com
|
|
|
