A BBC documentary has revealed the story of an intense relationship between Pope John Paul II and a married, Polish born American philosopher for more than 30 years. The former Pope's letters to Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka were kept away from the public, for years. The letters do not indicate as to whether the Pope broke his vow of celibacy but the tone of some of them point to an intense feeling that existed between them.
The Pope had passed into the mist of time in 2005 while Anna-Teresa passed away in 2014. Copies of her side of the correspondence were included in the archives of of the Polish national Library when they're sold by her in 2008. They were, however, not shown to the BBC along with that of the Pope's.
The letters show that the friendship had begun in 1973 when Anna-Teresa contacted the future Pope, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, then Archbishop of Krakow, about a book on philosophy written by him. The, then 50 year old, had travelled all the way from the US to Poland to discuss the work. Shortly afterwards, they began to correspond and as their friendship grew, they became more intimate and went together for camping, skiing holidays and country walks!
My take.
I've always been an admirer of Pope John Paul II in the manner in which he'd conducted himself during his papacy by travelling far and wide across the world, making Vatican more accessible to the believers all around the globe. His trade mark kissing of the ground on stepping onto a new land, from his aircraft, was unique that conveyed his disarming simplicity.
This revelation has only increased my admiration for him. After all, he was just like any one of us.....a normal human being!
Tailpiece.
Wonder what happens to his sainthood? That has been bestowed on him - his detractors have gone on record to say that it was bestowed on him a bit too hastily - based on the pure life that he'd lived all through. I only hope that it remains!
The Pope had passed into the mist of time in 2005 while Anna-Teresa passed away in 2014. Copies of her side of the correspondence were included in the archives of of the Polish national Library when they're sold by her in 2008. They were, however, not shown to the BBC along with that of the Pope's.
The letters show that the friendship had begun in 1973 when Anna-Teresa contacted the future Pope, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, then Archbishop of Krakow, about a book on philosophy written by him. The, then 50 year old, had travelled all the way from the US to Poland to discuss the work. Shortly afterwards, they began to correspond and as their friendship grew, they became more intimate and went together for camping, skiing holidays and country walks!
My take.
I've always been an admirer of Pope John Paul II in the manner in which he'd conducted himself during his papacy by travelling far and wide across the world, making Vatican more accessible to the believers all around the globe. His trade mark kissing of the ground on stepping onto a new land, from his aircraft, was unique that conveyed his disarming simplicity.
This revelation has only increased my admiration for him. After all, he was just like any one of us.....a normal human being!
Tailpiece.
Wonder what happens to his sainthood? That has been bestowed on him - his detractors have gone on record to say that it was bestowed on him a bit too hastily - based on the pure life that he'd lived all through. I only hope that it remains!
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