IN his spiritual testament, Pope John Paul II reflected on the Communist persecution of the Church, the attempt to assassinate him, the fall of the Iron Curtain and his own ageing.
As his 80th birthday approached in 2000, he said he considered resigning and hoped God would show him when it was time for his ministry as head of the Catholic Church to end.
The College of Cardinals released an Italian translation of the Polish text on April 7.
The Pope’s final spiritual message to the Church was written during his annual Lenten retreats in seven different years, beginning in 1979 and ending in 2000.
In almost every entry, including the first when he was 58 years old, Pope John Paul said he was prepared to die.
In the document, Pope John Paul said he had no property to be willed to others and that his personal belongings should be “distributed as seems appropriate”.
CNS
