We had the good fortune years ago to have a visiting priest for a year. He was from Malta and was very much an insider at the Vatican. He claimed that it was a priest from Malta who prayed the Luminous mysteries and brought them to JPII’s attention. I can’t remember the priest’s name and I don’t know if it is true but Malta is a bastion of faith, literally an island unto itself.
St. Paul was bitten there by the snake and survived after a shipwreck while being taken to Rome as a prisoner. That incident converted the island and they have been faithful Catholics ever since.
God Bless that priest who brought them to John Paul II. They were obviously inspired by God, because they bring you so close to the life of Jesus when praying them.