Posted on 04/07/2005 8:55:52 AM PDT by 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
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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.
It's amazing that the only people who think that Catholics worship Mary are, you guessed it, non-Catholics who really don't know a whole lot about the church. Veneration is not worship. Asking for one to pray for you is not praying to that person. If you ask your friends or family to pray for you, are you praying to them? Are you worshiping them? Of course not. It is the same thing with Mary. Mary is the mother of Christ. She is a person to be respected.
According to Scripture, she IS the "Mother of God" and she IS "blessed among women":
LUKE
1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
1:40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
1:43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
1:45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
1:55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
It certainly doesn't take long for the ignorant, bigoted anti-Catholic contingent to circle their jerk-wagons and go to town, does it?
I'll do what the Pope would have wanted me to: try to forgive them and pray for them. And hope that they can learn to keep their narrow-minded, hateful rhetoric to themselves.
Although I don't hold out much hope. It seems they get almost demonic glee out of slamming their fellow Christians.
We should show people our faith by our works. Faith is most powerful when it walks in harmony with both faith and works together. Having one without the other short circuits one's Christian experience and testimony.
That is very profound insight, and one rarely noted.
It was precisely the reason for my conversion some twenty plus years ago. I believe it is the driving force in most conversions, of course there are frivolous ones as well.
Our gift of worship must however (IMHO) not be neglected. My dear wife's greatest concern, for example, is the way in which reverence for the the Eucharist is not being instilled in the children placed in our care.
You just admitted you know nothing. Thanks for playing.
read later
First, no one needs to be a Bible scholar to discuss the scripture. The Bible itself tells us, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." And also, "...the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may obey it." It would be great if we were all discussing it all day long.
But...by your own standards, shouldn't you recuse yourself from this discussion? You're a "godless atheist" who has only read the Bible "half a dozen times."
You are beyond the pale.
Get a GRIP.
There is NO relating whatsoever.
You diminish the suffering of Jesus with your comments.
Sounds like you understand it pretty well to me (transubstantiation, that is).
Thank you! These people think they know what they're talking about, but they really have no idea what the Catholic Church is.
I am a former catholic, who left the catholic church 10 years ago, when true scripture was pointed out to me, that I was never shown while a practicing catholic. Like many before me, I was led astray, and very spiritually unhappy because I didn't feel right about what the catholic church was teaching me. Now that I know the truth, my life is much happier.
I will be with the Lord and all the saints when I die, as the scriptures teach.
"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
This is written in scripture.
I will search the scriptures and find it, I cannot remember off the top of my head where it is, but it is a definite promise to all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Exactly. It's like these prayer threads, we're praying for the person, not worshipping at that persons feet. Same for the Rosary, praying to the Mother of God out of respect.
The thing is, these people start it EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don't know any Catholic FReepers who go trolling on decidedly Protestant threads and start berating everyone.
It's just breathtaking.
BUMP.
Yes it is "breathtaking."
Veneration is exactly what worship is--the definition of worship is "extreme devotion or intense love or admiration of any kind."
We are never told in the Bible whether anyone else in heaven can even hear us. We do know that God alone is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. Even the angels, with whatever great abilities they may have, seem to have their limitations and can’t always make it to help us as they might like (Daniel 10:10-14).
Yikes. I thought you were one of the anti-Catholic crowd... sorry.
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