Blog

(for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Metoděj Minařík, O.Carm.)

The mission of the formatter, just like the mission of the sculptor, lies in freeing hidden beauty...

The mission of the formator, just like the mission of the sculptor, lies in liberating hidden beauty...

Tématem byl apoštolát, který terciáři nebo karmelitánští laici v různých zemích a světadílech rozvíjejí...

Less than nine months before his death, Pope John XXIII set the tone for pastoral care that influenced the Council for the next four years...

P. Emanuele Boaga, O.Carm.

On May 1, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed his predecessor John Paul II (1920–2005) blessed. The Carmel is especially grateful to this blessed pope for all his statements and documents that support respect for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as for his paternal kindness, which he manifested to the Carmelite family many times.

Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920, in the small Polish town of Wadowice near Krakow. Near his parents' house was a convent of the Discalced Carmelites, founded in 1892 by Fr. Raphael Kalinowski, whom Karol Wojtyla greatly admired and canonized as pope in 1991. Since childhood, young Karol visited the Carmelite church, especially on Carmelite feast days, and drew many graces here, as he mentioned several times – already as pope – in his memories.

After his gymnasium studies, he began studying philosophy at the university in Krakow in 1938. In this city, the Carmelite presence is very vibrant: there is a convent of both our friars and Discalced brothers, as well as two monasteries of Discalced Carmelite nuns. At the convent of the Discalced Carmelites, student Wojtyla participated in spiritual exercises, having greater contacts with both monasteries of nuns. However, it was a Carmelite layman, originally a tailor, Jan Tyranowski, who introduced him to the studies of the great mystics John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus.

In 1942, Wojtyla entered the seminary in Krakow, and on November 1, 1946, he was ordained a priest. His contacts with the Carmel deepened. He became increasingly familiar with its spirituality. At the Pontifical University Angelicum, he devoted himself to further elaboration of the teachings of John of the Cross, defending his thesis on this topic with honors on June 19, 1948, with the designation summa cum laude.

After returning to his homeland, his love and admiration for Carmelite spirituality continued to grow, although Cardinal Archbishop Sapieha urged him to continue on the path of a diocesan priest regarding his vocation. During his priestly ministry in Krakow and while teaching ethics at the Catholic University in Lublin, his contacts with the Carmel continued. In 1958, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow, and in 1967 he became the archbishop of Krakow. His relationships with the convents of the Discalced Carmelites and the Carmelite nuns in Krakow and Zakopane were intense, and as the archbishop of Krakow, he also visited the convent of our friars there.

One more thing has deeply connected Karol Wojtyla with Carmel since childhood: a sincere respect for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, to whom he attributed numerous graces and protection even during his pontificate. An outward expression of this respect for him was the scapular. He received it as a boy in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Wadowice. He often reminded of this fact and spoke about his deep respect for Our Lady at every meeting with both branches of the Carmelite order. It can be said that during his pontificate, at every suitable opportunity, especially on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, he addressed the members of the Carmelite family and all those who follow the path of Carmel to remind them of the protection and graces, as well as the role of Mary in the mystery of Christ and the Church, encouraging them to a filial gratitude and a close life with Mary according to God's will. At least seventy times – during the Sunday Angelus, at meetings with various groups during his apostolic journeys, and at Wednesday audiences – the pope spoke about some aspect of the Carmelite devotion to Mary and led her beloved children to prayer and following her virtues.
The most important teaching of John Paul II for Carmelites is his apostolic letter Il providenziale evento issued on March 25, 2001, on the occasion of the Carmelite Marian year. It contains, among other things, the main lines of Marian devotion that Carmel should cultivate.

Pope John Paul II beatified and canonized many Carmelites. Among them were three martyr priests: Titus Brandsma, Hilarius Januszewski, and Jakub Retouret, as well as the African lay martyr – member of the scapular brotherhood Isidor Bakanja. Furthermore, on December 20, 2003, he confirmed the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Teresa Scrilli, the founder of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,¹ and on December 20, 2004, he signed a decree about the miracle obtained through the intercession of the Servant of God Maria Crocifissa Curcio, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Carmelite Missionaries of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. He also beatified the Maltese Carmelite tertiary Georg Preca, a priest and founder of the Society for Church Doctrine MUSEUM. Another priest – the Carmelite tertiary Pietro Poveda Castroverde was beatified by him on October 10, 1993, and canonized in 2003.

There are even more members of the Discalced Carmel who were beatified and canonized by John Paul II. Let us recall the blessed who were later canonized: Henry de Ossó y Cervello, Raphael Kalinowski, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Maria Maravillas of Jesus. In 1992, the pope proclaimed Father Kalinowski the second patron of the Polish diocese of Sosnowiec and in 1999 proclaimed Edith Stein co-patroness of Europe, along with St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Catherine of Siena. He also beatified these religious men and women of the OCD: Maria of Jesus Crucified (Miriam Baouardy), Elizabeth of the Trinity, Teresa Maria Manetti of the Cross, three martyrs from Guadalajara, Francis Palau y Quer, Joseph Naval Girbós, Maria Mercedes Prat y Prat, martyrs of the French Revolution John Baptiste Durveneuil, Michael Louis Bruland, Jacob Cagnon, Maria Sagrario of St. Louis Gonzaga, and martyr Alfonso Maria Mazurka. He confirmed the heroic virtues of the Servants of God: Maria Teresa Gonzáles Quevedo Cadarso, Maria Josefina of Jesus Crucified, Elias of St. Clement, Antonio of Jesus Bound, Anita Cantieri, Kamila Rolón of St. Joseph, Eleonora Lopez de Maturana of St. Louis, John Vincent of Jesus and Mary, Teresa Mira García and the parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus: Louis and Zelie Guerin.
During his trip to India in 1986, John Paul II beatified the co-founder and first General Superior of the Carmelites of Our Lady of the Immaculate, Father Cyriak Elias Chavara.

This includes some apostolic letters that John Paul II wrote on the occasion of various Carmelite anniversaries and extraordinary celebrations. Further mentions of great figures of Carmel were made during various audiences and meetings. In line with the ideal of Carmel, there are the words of John Paul II addressed to the General Chapters of both branches of the order. During his pontificate, we Carmelites celebrated four General Chapters (1983, 1989, 1995, 2001). During the first three, the pope granted us a special audience, and he sent a letter to the last chapter. The Discalced Carmelites also celebrated four General Chapters during his pontificate (1985, 1991, 1997, 2003), and each time the pope addressed them with paternal words of blessing. He also encouraged the Carmelite religious during special audiences on the occasion of the General Chapters of their congregations in a fatherly manner.

John Paul II also participated in other celebrations of the Carmelite family. On the occasion of the 550th anniversary of the issuance of the bull Cum Nulla [which is traditionally considered the official approval for the establishment of the second and third orders in Carmel] on October 7, 2002, he sent a letter to the general superiors of both order branches, highlighting the many fruits that Carmelite nuns bear in the Church through their “brilliant witness of exemplary women” and encouraging also laypeople associated with the Carmelite family to walk the path of holiness following the example of the prophet Elijah and Our Lady.

The Pope's interest in parishes and religious communities of the Roman diocese is also well-known. His visits to parishes entrusted to Carmelites were characterized by simplicity and friendship; and his sincere affection often went beyond the framework of official speeches.
Nine Carmelites of the original observance were appointed bishops by John Paul II, and two bishops appointed by Paul VI were called to different sees. Among the Discalced Carmelites, he appointed 14 bishops, and five bishops appointed by Paul VI were called to different sees. On May 22, 1979, he elevated Father Anastasio Ballestrero, a Discalced Carmelite and bishop in Bari and Turin, to the cardinalate.

The Pope granted the honorary title of “basilica minor” to several churches dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and crowned many images of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Let us especially recall the audience in St. Peter's Square on September 12, 2001, which was marked by [universal] amazement and pain over the terrorist attack on the two towers in New York. On this occasion, the pope placed a new crown on the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which was brought from the nearby church of Santa Maria in Traspontina at the conclusion of the Marian Carmelite year and the 750th anniversary of the scapular.
All these acts, carried out to intensify Marian devotion, speak of the deep and tender bond that united the heart of John Paul II with the Mother of God and with every human being, which seems to be almost his legacy and encouragement, as he often repeated: “to turn to her in fervent prayer, that we may receive through her intercession all that we need on our life journey and to happily reach the holy mountain, Jesus Christ, our Lord” (words at the Angelus prayer on July 21, 1988).

In the parish of Our Lady Queen in Torrespaccata in Rome, a rare relic is kept. In 2007, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow and former secretary of John Paul II, donated to the local church and community the scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which John Paul II wore. On their behalf, it was received by the pastor Fr. Lucio Maria Zappatore, O.Carm.

Translated from the revue CITOC 2/2011 by Martina Vintrova

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