Polish ambassador: I was 17 when I heard the news on TV - Cardinal Karol Wojtyla had been elected head of the Catholic Church. We were overcome with joy and pride. The Holy Father will be one of our countrymen! I have never forgotten his first words when he addressed from the balcony of the Basilica the crowds: "Non abbiate paura!", (Do not fear). It has become our motto in Poland and has led us to a peaceful transition from communism to free market economy: our return to the western world.
One could understood the Pope's "Do not fear!" in many ways: Let the world not be afraid of this Polish Pope, whose name you can hardly pronounce, as he will guide you in difficult times with faith, courage and devotion;
Do not fear death, as there is a better life if you repent; Do not fear to fight for freedom, democracy, sovereignty, justice and human dignity. His "do not fear!" guided Poland and the rest of central Europe through meanders of history. The Holy Father advocated a peaceful transition - we achieved his aim and his dream of central Europe free from communism came true.
We will never forget his first visit to Poland. We knew that he could not say everything openly, so we listened to each of his word with utmost attention. There were hidden meanings everywhere. There were metaphors, carefully chosen quotation from the New Testament, references to literature. We knew what the Holy Father was saying and we gained strength and hope. His meeting, by stealth, with Lech Walesa was an important sign. Even if the Polish mass media tried to conceal facts, we had access to information: we listened to Radio Free Europe, BBC Polish Section, Voice of Washington, and other Polish radio services from the free world. We knew where to find the truth.
I met John Paul II several times. He was always serene, his deep faith made him smile whatever the circumstances. He was "one of us". He gave us guidance, he listened to us, he sang with us, told us jokes, offered advice and hope, spoke about his favourite cream cakes, wrote poetry, acted in theatrical performances, went for walks in the mountains.
He was never detached from reality; he was not a ruler in his sedan chair; he was a friend of those who suffered, who needed reassurance, who sought comfort and hope. He never refused any request for help. I was proud to be a Pole - in Perugia, where I studied Italian, my dentist, shoemaker and greengrocer did not charge me for their services - they used to say: "It's free. You are from Poland. Our Papa is Polish." Such was the attitude everywhere. We young people loved him. The Holy Father knew that the future lay in the youth. That is why he devoted much of his time to meetings with young people.
Was John Paul II a conservative Pope? Was his papacy influenced by "Polish Catholicism"? I think the word "conservative" cannot be used when we speak about heads of the Catholic Church. One easily (or intentionally?) forgets that the Holy Father is not an absolute monarch who can do whatever he wants to. Each pope must "abide by the rules"; he is bound by the Scriptures; he has the Bible as his guidance; he preaches the word of God. His room for manoeuvre is very limited.
And what is "Polish Catholicism"? Is it wrong to fill hundreds of thousands of churches each Sunday with people from morning till night? Is it improper to wait for hours in queues to confess sins? Is it harmful to fast during Christmas Eve and refrain from eating meat? Is it threatening to modern times to bless food at Easter to show gratitude for what we have and others don't? If this is conservative Polish faith, we are ready to assume responsibility and face the "modern times".
We, in Poland, will always respect the next pope; we will listen to him carefully and follow his guidance. But John Paul II was the dearest, the holiest and the most outstanding Pole. Even if he said: "Do not fear!", we are afraid at present; we fear the aftermath, the day after, when we are left with our everyday problems and he will not be there as our last resort, as our spiritual hope. We are optimistic, though. His legacy will last for generations. If we want to pay homage to him, let us re-read his words and follow his guidance. That is more important than mourning, because he always said: "Do not weep for me". He died smiling, I am sure, as with his holy life, he deserved Heaven.