Text of Pope's Last Will and Testament

Associated Press ^ | April 7, 2005 | Associated Press

[BigSkyFreeper]

The following is an English translation of the official Vatican Italian translation of the text of Pope John Paul II's last will and testament, which was originally written in Polish with successive additions. Dates have been written according to European convention, which makes "6.3.1979" represent March 6, 1979.

The document begins with a Latin phrase that reads, "I am completely in Your hands," and follows with a citation from the New Testament.

The testament of 6.3.1979

Totus Tuus ego sum

In the Name of the Holiest Trinity. Amen.

"Keep watch, because you do not know which day when the Lord will come" - These words remind me of the final call, which will come the moment that the Lord will choose. I desire to follow Him and desire that all that is part of my earthly life shall prepare me for this moment. I do not know when it will come, but, like all else, this moment too I place into the hands of the Mother of My Master: Totus Tuus. In the same maternal hands I place All those with whom my life and vocation are bound. Into these Hands I leave above all the Church, and also my Nation and all humanity. I thank everyone. To everyone I ask forgiveness. I also ask prayers, so that the Mercy of God will loom greater than my weakness and unworthiness.

During spiritual exercises I reflected upon the testament of the Holy Father Paul VI. This study has led me to write the present testament.

I do not leave behind me any property which necessitates disposal. Regarding those items of daily use of which I made use, I ask that they be distributed as may appear opportune. My personal notes are to be burned. I ask that Don Stanislaw oversees this and thank him for the collaboration and help so prolonged over the years and so comprehensive. All other thanks, instead, I leave in my heart before God Himself, because it is difficult to express them.

Regarding the funeral, I repeat the same disposition given by the Holy Father Paul VI: Burial in the bare earth, not in a tomb, 13.3.92.

Apud Dominum misericordia et copiosa apud Eum redemptio

John Paul pp.II

Rome 6.3.1979

Following my death I ask for Holy Masses and prayers

5.3.1990

---

I express the deepest faith that, despite all my weakness, the Lord will accord me every necessary grace to face, according to His will, whatever task, trial and suffering that will be demanded of His servant, during the course of my life. I also have faith that never will it be permitted that, through my behavior: by words, actions or omissions, I betray my obligations in this holy seat of Peter.

---

24.II-1.III.1980

Also during these spiritual exercises I have reflected upon the truth of the Priesthood of Christ in the perspective of that Crossing which is for each one of us the moment of death. In taking leave of this world - to be born into the other, the future world, eloquent sign is for us the Resurrection of Christ.

I therefore read the copy of my testament of the last year, it also made during spiritual exercises - I compared it with the testament of my great Predecessor and Father Paul VI, with that sublime witness to the death of a Christian and of a pope - and I renewed in myself consciousness of the questions, to which refers the copy of 6.III.1979, prepared by me (in a rather provisional way).

Today I desire to add to it only this, that each one of us must keep in mind the prospect of death. And must be ready to present himself before the Lord and Judge - and contemporaneously Redeemer and Father. Then I too can take this into consideration continuously, entrusting that decisive moment to the Mother of Christ and of the Church - to the Mother of my hope.

The times in which we live are indescribably difficult and troubled. Difficult and tense has become the life of the Church as well, characteristic trial of these times - as much for the Faithful, as much as for the Pastors. In some Countries (as, e.g. in that one about which I was reading during the spiritual exercises), the Church finds itself in a period of persecution that is not inferior to those of the first centuries; on the contrary, the degree of cruelty and hatred is greater still. Sanguis martyrum - semen christianorum (Eds: Latin for "Blood of the martyrs - seeds of Christians"). And beyond this - so many people disappear innocently, even in this Country, in which we live...

I desire once more to entrust myself totally to the mercy of the Lord. He himself will decide when and how I must finish my earthly life and pastoral ministry. In life and in death Totus Tuus through the Immaculate. Accepting this death already, I hope that Christ will give me grace for my final passage, which is Easter. I hope too that it shall be made useful also for this important cause in which I am trying to serve: the salvation of men, the safeguarding of the human family and of all the nations and the peoples (among these I refer in particular to my earthly Country), useful for the persons who in a special way have entrusted to me for the questions of the Church, for the glory of God himself.

I do not desire to add anything to that which I wrote a year ago - only express this readiness and at the same time this faith, to which the present spiritual exercises prepared me.

[katieanna]

I often think of how blessed beyond words Mary was to be chosen to bare the Lord's Son. And to raise Him. She must have marvelled every day that she gazed at Him. I also believe she is much stronger than I to have walked the path to Calvary with him.

I do have a question friend and it is with all due respect as my brother/sister in Christ: If Mary were without sin, why was she not bear the sins of the world? Why Jesus? No malice is intended in my post. I'm just curious. Peace.

[Soul Seeker]

And some would state to allow Catholics are Christians is to be in defiance of the Truth. Your attitude is no different than theirs.

I reject both attitudes from each side. I certainly do not think doctrinal differences are insignificant but the central core of Christianity is ultimately the benchmark whereby I determine if someone is a Christian.

[Bella_Bru]

How is that a mockery of Christianity?

If you are a Christian, you know that Jesus did have a mother, right? Well, anyone who would be considered worthy to carry your saviour would have to be pretty important. So how is any reference to Mary a mockery?

[BikerNYC]

Yup. Although he lived in a mansion and was the head of the Roman Catholic Church, he had no personal wealth at all. A fine contrast with some other religious leaders, it seems to me.

Nice swipe. In that regard, JPII would have made a good Broadway producer, in that he always used other people's money, never his own.

In other words, sometimes control of a fortune is better than owning it.

[lastchance]

Yes mary is sinless. But this is not to compare her to Christ. Jesus is sinless because He is God. Mary is sinless only because Jesus by His grace made her sinless at the moment of her conception. She is not sinless for any reason but that of God's grace. She remains a creature who had to be saved from sin by the Grace of Jesus Christ. The only great difference is that this saving took place when she was conceived.

[Rutles4Ever]

"do this in memory of me"...

I missed the part where Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me... about five or six times, then stop doing this in memory of me..."

[Preachin']

"Catholics DO NOT worship Mary. Catholics DO NOT worship saints. We see them as intermediaries. It irks me so much when people who know nothing about Roman Catholicism other than their preconceived notions about it and what they hear in the MSM about recent scandals start going off about how we worship Mary as another 'god'. She is not and we do not."

I was listening to Fox News the day after the Pope's passing, and they had someone "praying" for about 15 minutes (in Latin) with an English translator.

Although they called it "prayer", all I heard over and over were phrases similar to "mother of the church", "mother of the apostles", and so forth.

The person never got around to asking for anything. It was only a continual praise for Mary.

[MineralMan]

"People who doubt the Pope's orthodoxy should take the time to read some of his writings."

---

Excellent advice. Sadly, most will not, and will simply continue to promulgate lies about Catholicism and the Pope. Asking them to actually read the Pope's words on the matter of Mary and Jesus, I'm afraid, is asking too much of them.

[katieanna]

CORRECTION: Pardon the typing error.
"Why was Mary not chosen to bear the sins of the world."

[iconoclast]

This may be his last Testament, but it sure isn't much of a will.

It doesn't take a lengthy lawyer drawn document for the Vicar of Christ.

You may have somehow confused him with a typical politician.

[BigSkyFreeper]

And just think, his last word was "Amen."

Yep! He lived the life of a prayer.

[Campion]

If Mary were without sin, why was she not bear the sins of the world? Why Jesus?

According to St. Anselm, man's sin is an infinite offense to God, which requires an infinite merit to expiate. Only God could render infinite merit to Himself, so the Atonement had to be performed by someone who was both God and man.

That's not necessarily the only answer to your question, but it's an answer.

[katieanna]

Thanks. Who is St. Anselm?

[GraniteStateConservative]

Thank you.

[PetroniusMaximus]

***All have sinned by Original Sin***

If you look at the context of Romans 3 you will see that Paul is not adressing Adamic sin (that isn't till Rom 5) but the personal sin of each individual. Please read it and tell me if I am wrong.


***Old Testament figures were said to rest "in the bosom of Abraham" until the gates of heaven were opened by Christ? Why? Because there was no grace.***

Grace in the OT.
Genesis 6:8
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."


*** So here comes the angel Gabriel, saluting a twelve-year-old girl as "full of grace". Full of grace.***

You know, Mary isn't the only one called "full of grace" (Charitoo) in the NT...

"Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted (made us "full of grace" - Charitoo) in the beloved."

That doesn't make mean that Christians are sinless too does it? Christian's are made "full of grace" just like Mary.

[Nexus6]

He leaves nothing material behind. I'm impressed.

I am too, and how I envy that existence.

[wolfman]

The papacy is quite possibly the RICHEST organization on the face of the earth. The pope lived in a PALACE more beautiful and splendid than any on this planet. He had his own army, and a palace full of servants as well as around the clock security. I've seen him patting poor little children on the head when he visits poverty-stricken countries. Yet, for the entire time he was pope, what did he ever know of poverty? He allowed heads of states, queens, kings to BOW before him, kiss his ring, kiss his feet-- He allowed people to call him HOLY FATHER, a title that is reserved for God alone --- The man was worshipped. I've seen many pictures of him BOWING before statues of Mary and kissing her feet. Hey - isn't that idolatry in the Bible? Anybody read about Ishtar in the Old Testament lately?

He had the audience of millions, yet how many times did anyone ever hear him talk of anything but peace? When did he ever preach to his audience of millions and tell people how to get saved? He told plenty of them to go to Mary. Most Catholics believe that chewing up their wafer (communion) is receiving Jesus and that saves them. They know nothing of receiving Jesus personally as their Savior into their life..I know - I was Catholic for 20 years before my eyes were opened... God never intended anyone heading up His church to be glorified like this man was - . He lived in glory and his funeral is glorifying him, certainly not Jesus. Jesus lived a life of humility and self-denial. He allowed people to kneel before Him because he truly was and is God. He is now in glory in heaven, but while on earth doing his Father's will, he was never glorified like the papacy glorifies their "king." He did not lead people to Jesus - was he saved? Well, he believed that taking communion was literally taking the body of Jesus and the blood of Jesus into his body - so he believed that saved him - all Catholics believe that saves them, yet communion was a symbol of Jesus' death on the cross. He is not literally inside the wafer. I used to believe, as a Catholic that taking communion "saved" me too. I had no clue what salvation was really all about. When all the cardinals get together to elect a new pope, check out all their finery and garb (in scarlet and purple), then go back into your Bible and reach chapter 17 of Revelations, folks.

[MineralMan]

"The Crucifiction was a once-for-all event; why then must Christ be sacrificed repeatedly thousands of times per day for thousands of years?"

I recommend that you read the story of the Last Supper again. Jesus asked his followers to repeat this "in remembrance" of him.

The bread and wine of communion are a symbol of, or are transformed into, the body and blood of Jesus in the ceremony, depending on your doctrinal beliefs.

It is not a repetition of the sacrifice. It is a remembrance of the sacrifice. Some denominations celebrate communion frequently. Others do it just occasionally, but it has the same connotations in all denominations.

Transubstantiation is a Roman Catholic belief, based on the words of Jesus, who said that the bread and wine were the body and blood. Protestants think of them as symbolic. The difference is merely doctrinal, as far as I can see.

Christianity is, I believe, defined by the Nicene creed. The rest is interpretation.

[onyx]

Oh, I wholeheardly agree with you with
regard to Ms. LSB. She is completely
self absorbed and terribly haughty.

Vastly overrated as a blogger?
INDEED.

[Kaslin]

Especially the catholic bashers. I hope this explains what you need to understand. We catholics do the Hail Mary which is the greeting Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary when he told her that she was going to be with child

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blesset are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Does this sound like we are praying to her? No it does not. Then we contininue with Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen

It means we are asking Mary to pray for us. It is like as if you are asking someone to interfere for you.