Pope John Paul II,  1976

 

Feastday not known                                               

Born 1920                  

Died –

 

Karol Wojtyla was born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18th 1920 to a poor family. His mother and brother died when he was a young boy. He was an outstanding student and was very interested in literature and the theatre. In 1938 he entered Jagiellonian University to study literature. During this time he also appeared in the theatre. In September 1939 the Nazi Armies invaded Poland and turned the lives of people into confusion. Karol Wojtylas’s life was no exception. Jagiellonian University was closed. But Karol and other students established an underground University. Professors and students would secretly meet in private homes. He went to secret classes and performed in plays at night, and during the day worked as a labourer in a limestone quarry. During this time his father died which some friends feel stimulated him to serious study of  Theology. He began serious study for the Seminary during the war. His life was placed in jeopardy because of this and he was placed under protective custody at The Archbishop of Krakov’s Palace. On November 1 1946 he was ordained priest by Cardinal Sapicha. He received his doctorate in Theology after the war and was assigned as a Parish Priest. In July 1958 he was appointed auxiliary Bishop of Krakow, shortly afterwards in December 1963 he was chosen as Archbishop of Krakow and made Cardinal in May 1967. He was always an outspoken advocate of religious freedom in Communist ruled countries. Upon the death of Pope John Paul 1 in 1978 he was chosen to be the leader of The Catholic Church.

 

On the present age

 

“We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel, between Christ and Antichrist. The confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is therefore, in God’s Plan, and it must be a trial which the Church must take up, and face courageously…”1

 

On the real content of the 3rd Secret of Fatima

 

It was while he was convalescing from his attempted assassination on May 13, 1981 at the Policlinico that John Paul II reportedly witnessed the inexplicable phenomenon of the sun first seen at Fatima sixty five years earlier. Moreover, he reportedly received a vision of the future related to the third Fatima Secret at the same time the phenomenon of the sun took place. What were the contents of his vision? Only John Paul knows. However, Bishop Hnilica reported at the time of the Pope's release from the Policlinico, that the Pope told him: “I have come to understand that the only way to save the world from war, to save it from atheism, is the conversion of Russia according to the message of Fatima.” 2

 

 [The 3rd secret] “is the fulfilment of the divine plan” in these times…“The message of Fatima” he went on to say “is a call to conversion, alerting humanity to have nothing to do with the ‘dragon’ whose ‘tail swept a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth.” (he cited chapter 12, verses 1, 3 and 4 of the apocalyptic book of revelations which refers to “a woman clothed in the sun with the moon under her feet” (interpreted by scriptural exegetes as the Church) doing battle in verse 4, with the dragon, (the Devil), who sweeps one third of the stars from heaven (the Catholic clergy) with its tail (into Apostasy).) 3

 

 “Yes, Lucia’s text does speak of chastisements…We must prepare ourselves to suffer great trials before long such as will demand of us a disposition to give up even life, with a total dedication to Christ and for Christ. With your, and my prayers it is possible to mitigate the coming tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it, because only thus can the Church be effectually renewed. How many times has the renewal of the Church sprung from the shedding of blood? This time, too, it will not be otherwise. We must be strong and prepared, and trust in Christ and in His Holy Mother, and be very assiduous in praying the Holy Rosary…Given the seriousness of its contents my predecessors in the Petrine Office, diplomatically preferred to postpone publication so as not to encourage the world power of communism to make certain moves…no the church cannot be reformed at the present moment” 4

 

 

References

1. Pope John Paul II (then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla) Eucharistic Congress, Philadelphia, U.S.A. 1976

2. Modern Papal Visions (http://members.aol.com/bjw1106/marian7a.htm)

3. John Paul II’s sermon for the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco May 13, 2000 as quoted by Father Paul Kramer The Devil’s final Battle (Good Counsel Publications Inc. October 1, 2002) 332 pages Chapter 8. 

4. Pope John Paul II said in response to questions about the Third Secret whilst speaking in Fulda, Germany in 1980 as quoted by Malachi Martin The Keys of this Blood (Simon and Schuster 1990) p. 632 –633 and Ted and Maureen Flynn Thunder of Justice: The Miracle, The Warning, The Chastisement, The Era of Peace (Maxkol Communications 1993) p 146