Krzysztof Bronk – Vatican
On October 14, 1981, John Paul II admitted that the assassination attempt itself and its consequences obviously had a purely human aspect. However, as he noted, this aspect cannot obscure a deeper dimension: the Divine Experience.
I could bear witness to Truth and Love
The Lord God allowed the Pope to experience suffering and a threat to his life, so that he, as the Successor of Peter, could bear witness.
“Christ, who is the Light of the world, the Shepherd of His flock, and above all the Prince of shepherds, granted me the grace that through suffering, through the threat to my own life and health, I could bear witness to His Truth and His Love. This is what I consider a special grace,” said John Paul II.
According to the Pope, this testimony is part of the mission that Christ gave to the Apostles, saying: “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive His power and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Many Popes sealed their mission with the sacrifice of their lives
John Paul II emphasized that these words apply in a special way to Peter and his successors. He recalled that many popes sealed the testimony of their teaching and pastoral ministry with the sacrifice of their lives.
“It is difficult to speak of these matters – he said – without deep reverence, without an inner tremor. For from the sacrifice of those who bore witness to the crucified and risen Christ, especially throughout the first centuries, the Mystical Body of Christ grew, the Church arose, established itself in souls and strengthened itself in that ancient world, which responded to the Good News of the Gospel – how often – with bloody persecutions.”
Strength is perfected in weakness
The Pope emphasized that this must be remembered whenever one comes on pilgrimage to the apostolic thresholds. “I too am a pilgrim here. I am a newcomer, who by the will of the Church was destined to remain and take over the succession on the Roman See after so many great Popes, Bishops of Rome. And I too feel deeply my human weakness – and therefore I confidently repeat the words of the Apostle: virtus in infirmitate perficitur – strength is perfected in weakness. And therefore, with great gratitude to the Holy Spirit, I think of this weakness that He allowed me to experience since May 13, humbly believing and trusting that it could serve to strengthen the Church, as well as my own human person.”
The power of the word
A selection of the most important recordings from the pontificate of St. John Paul II can be found on a separate YouTube playlist and in the form of a separate podcast on Spotify. A collection of 129 catecheses by John Paul II on the theology of the body is also available. We encourage you to listen to the teachings of the Holy Pope to experience the power of his word for yourself.
God tested me so that I might bear witness – John Paul II’s second catechesis on the assassination attempt (14.10.1981)
