Pope John Paul II (2005) quotes

View Quote Faced with this abyss of evil. I can only respond with an abyss of love. Freedom to worship is a sacrosanct right of workers, all workers! And the fact that we are all here together demonstrates that this Catholic community is already a reality! If you should be elected. I beg you to accept... For Poland. ~ Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński When your way becomes too difficult. You must always remember, you are not alone. You are not alone. The living God walks beside you. He is, and always will be, your best friend. Emilia Wojtyła: My little Lolek, you are a silly goose. The world is complicated, Lolek. God is simple.
Pope John Paul II: Holy Mary... My mother...
Emilia Wojtyła: I'll show you a simple way. One, two, three. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now you try.
Pope John Paul II: One... Two... Three...

View Quote Adam Stefan Cardinal Sapieha: Christianity itself is at stake. Therefore it is essential that you never mention you're training to anyone. You must go about your daily lives as if nothing has changed. At the same time, you must take advantage of every available moment to study and to pray. Being a priest means serving God. But it also means serving Poland. This is the highest form of resistance, to give hope to those who have none. And with God's good grace. We shall succeed.

View Quote Adam Stefan Cardinal Sapieha: Karol, to be a good leader you must first learn to follow.

View Quote Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: [to the pope] Be cautious with matters dealing with religious freedom.
[meeting with Andrei Gromyko]
Andrei Gromyko: Five minutes. I believe the Catholic church cause great importance to the strengthened of peace, to the supplement, and to the liquidation of weapons of mass destruction.
Pope John Paul II: Yes, yes. We are in accord with all of that, of course. But, Mr. Gromyko, let me ask you one thing. Is it possible that the obstacles to religious freedom have not been entirely removed from every area of your country?
[Gromyko turns to talk to his associates, he turns back to the pope]
Andrei Gromyko: From the earliest days, the Soviet state has guaranteed freedom of religious belief.
[pause]
Pope John Paul II: That is more or less what they thought.

View Quote Anna: What do you know about cutting stones?
Karol Wojtyła: It's what they permit me to do.
Anna: I never get to see you.
Karol Wojtyła: I'm sorry, Anna. It's just I've been having so many thoughts about how to resist.
Anna: By breaking rocks?
Karol Wojtyła: No, of course not.

View Quote Cardinal Karol Wojtyła: Your eminence, I - I am needed in Poland. I have so much to do, and there's so many people count on my... What must I do?
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński: Do you remember Quo Vadis? Peter was fleeing Rome and he came across Jesus, who was going the other way, and he asked him--
Cardinal Karol Wojtyła: "Domine, quo vadis?"
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński: "Lord, where are you going?" And our Lord replied.
Wyszyński and Wojtyła: "Eo Romam iterum crucifigi."
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński: "I am returning to Rome to be crucified again." If you should be elected. I beg you to accept... For Poland.

View Quote Cardinal Konig: I believe the Lord asks us to show the world the pope is not only and always an Italian.
Second Cardinal: The last known Italian was uh...
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger: Exactly 455 years ago.
African Cardinal: We must have someone who can reach all people, all nations. A pope who can be papa to everyone.
Cardinal Konig: Especially youth.
African Cardinal: Yes, exactly. Young people need a voice they can trust.

View Quote Cardinal Konig: Siri and Benelli are deadlocked.
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński: God has challenged us.
Cardinal Konig: Perhaps Poland could present a candidate?
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński: No. I am too old, and if I left Poland, it would be a victory for the Communists.
Cardinal Konig: Eminence, there is another?
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński: You - you don't mean... No, he's too young, far too young Wojtyła.
Cardinal Konig: Young, but one of the finest minds in the room.

View Quote Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz: Do you feel up to it?
Pope John Paul II: [sickly] I must.
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz: If you don't, they will understand.
Pope John Paul II: I will speak to them.
[Dziwisz holds his hand]

View Quote Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz: In the next thirty days, you have twenty nine separate speaking engagements.
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: And you've emphasized how you must finish your first and second one.
Pope John Paul II: Nevertheless. The mission of the church is to implement the precepts of Vatican II.
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: But I implore, your Holiness. Could we start implementing it somewhere other than Mexico?
Pope John Paul II: Perhaps Poland.
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: [pause] Anywhere but Mexico and Poland.
Pope John Paul II: Mexico is constitutionally anticlerical. For one hundred years priests and nuns have not been allowed to wear their robes and habits in public. Can you imagine? In Mexico, the church does not exist... [accidentally knocks off a piece of cheese from his plate. He goes down to pick it up while his aide tries to get it for him] In Puebla, in January. The Latin American bishop's conference is taking place. We should send someone, don't you think?
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: Yes, Holiness. But that someone does not have to be you.
Pope John Paul II: But it could be.
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: Well, may I remind, your Holiness, [the pope puts the piece cheese back onto his plate] that the Holy See does not have relations with Mexico and may I make one other point: We have not been invited.
Pope John Paul II: My dear Casaroli. You're a man of great wisdom and imagination.
[the pope's aide, who is standing behind, nervous that the pope will knock the piece of cheese off his plate again, quickly grabs the cheese from his plate]
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: Well, I imagine that we could avoid the problem entirely if you went as a private citizen.
Pope John Paul II: [looking around the table] Did you see my cheese?

View Quote Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz: Please excuse us, Holiness. The news is something you will be pleased to hear.
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli: From Warsaw. You're pilgrimage to Poland has been approved.

View Quote Elderly Cardinal: [in Italian] Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?
[pause. Karol stands]
Cardinal Karol Wojtyła: [in Italian] I accept.

View Quote Karol Wojtyła Snr: Right now, there is no time for Hamlet. You must get a work permit.
Karol Wojtyła: A permit? Work at what, father?
Karol Wojtyła Snr: If you don't have one. You risk being deported to Germany. Forced labor. Is that what you want?
Karol Wojtyła: What I want is to stop them.
Karol Wojtyła Snr: No, Karol. What you must want, is to stay alive, and to stay polish.

View Quote Karol Wojtyła: ... Our skill, our imagination. Use all of it as a weapon.
Anna: What do you mean?
Karol Wojtyła: Well, if what they are trying to do is eliminate any trace of Poland, our objective must be to keep Poland alive. And so, we should put on a kind of... kind of subversive Theatre. You know? Put on plays that reflect who we are. [pause] You disagree?
Anna: Karol. What will happen to us? You and me? [pause] Tell me, please. I need to know what you're thinking.
Karol Wojtyła: Anna, what I think is... What I think is, you will have a beautiful future. Find a handsome, talented husband and have five or six wo--
Anna: What if I've already found him? [pause] Karol, I must know what you feel.
Karol Wojtyła: Anna. The times we are living in.... My heart is already consumed.
[pause. Anna walks away]

View Quote Karol Wojtyła: Forgive me, father. You're right. It is too dangerous. But in this moment, the Theatre is all I have. Besides your potatoes of course.
[Wojtyła Snr kisses his son on his forehead]