A friend who became pope

(Kindergarten Dad’s note: On the recent beatification of Pope John Paul II, I would like to share an excerpt of an article that was written by my late father, Dean Jeremias U. Montemayor, in 1978. I hope that it will give other Filipinos additional insights about this holy man.)

I  first met the man who is now Pope John Paul II in 1968. We were both consultors to the then newly-established department of the Holy See, the Council on the Laity. He was then known as Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, Poland. We served the Council together for about eight years. The council had 15 members and 15 consultors, all appointed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI.

In the first council meeting that I attended, Cardinal Wojtyla was present. As we assembled for supper that evening, I met him for the first time. My initial reaction to him was a feeling of wonder why and how a Cardinal of the Church could converse with me on our first meeting as if we had been old friends. As we walked to our tables, he even placed his arm on my shoulders. This instantaneous show of friendship gave me a fleeting memory of the Filipino politician, except that Cardinal Wojtyla’s personality and behavior were so utterly simple, so plainly sincere and unpretentious that I kept reminding myself that the man beside me was a Prince of the Church and Archbishop of a great city of the biggest Catholic nation in Eastern Europe. Cardinal Wojtyla also impressed me immediately with his gentleness and with his strength — strength of body and character. Physically, he is big and stocky.  He has a deep resonant and powerful voice. And his eyes flashed with a deep sense of loyalty. For a number of times, I sat with Cardinal Wojtyla in the Doctrinal Committee of the Council. His views and interventions, both in the plenary sessions and in the meetings of this committee, indicated his profound and strong classical theological formation. However, I recall that his interest was most evident on the subject of family. Cardinal Wojtyla was always one of the most active participants in all discussions concerning the family.  

Now and then, the Council on the Laity had socials. It was not infrequent that during such socials, Cardinal Wojtyla would render a song. In instances when we went to St. Peter’s Basilica, or had an audience with the Holy Father, or attended a ceremony at St. Peter’s Square, I noticed the retiring and self-effacing tendency of Cardinal Wojtyla. On such occasions, Church officials would be conspicuous in their black and scarlet cassocks. But Cardinal Wojtyla was likely to be inconspicuous. One would sometimes miss him after a while, and I eventually saw him once under the colonnade beside one of the big pillars. During our audiences with Pope Paul VI, the Pope would oftentimes have to call him to come to the front. On such occasions, his whole demeanor showed his deep loyalty and obedience to the Holy Father. It was very edifying for me.

We usually held our meetings on the third story of Palazzo San Calisto, a big marble edifice. We finished our sessions at 7:30 or 8 o’clock in the evening. Since our meetings were held in spring and in autumn, we would go down the stairs with our overcoats ready. Often it would be drizzling, and I cannot forget the silhouette of Cardinal Wojtyla quietly standing in the semi-darkness waiting for his little car to come. But what I will always remember most fondly is his special gesture of love for some of us. At the end of the last day of our sessions, when the last evening meeting was over and we would be going home the next morning, he would be waiting for some of us at the overcoat rack. He would wait for us until we had put on our overcoats, and then, he would kiss us goodbye. I had seen him do this only to the member from India, Japan, and myself. I was surprised when he first did it to me. I was very much disturbed — I wanted to express to him how much I appreciated his gesture, but I was too shy to say so. In my whole life I remember I have been kissed by only two men: my grandfather and Cardinal Wojtyla.

Such was the image I had of Cardinal Wojtyla that when the Church was looking for a new pope after the death of Pope Paul VI and again of Pope John Paul I, I never thought of my friend becoming a Pope, because my memory of him was that of a quiet man — strong, learned, and holy — but extremely obedient and extremely humble, and even, I believe, prone to be shy. But when one morning in 1978 I suddenly read in the papers that Cardinal Wojtyla had been elected Pope, I was extremely excited — not so much happy because a personal friend of mine had become the Holy Father as because I suddenly realized that a perfect choice was made! “Why did we not think of him before?” I kept asking myself. Soon, thereafter, many things have happened which did not surprise me at all, and which I could have foretold on the basis of what I had previously observed about him. He reportedly paled visibly when he was informed of his election — I remembered his humility. He assumed the name of John Paul — the combined names of the two Popes whom he had served with complete loyalty. It was reported in one of the newspapers in Rome that when his belongings were being transferred to the Vatican, people were shocked by the meagerness of his belongings — I remembered how simply he dressed and behaved. When requested, he married simple workers. He visited prisoners and sick people. He invited people to lunch with him. In his audiences, he takes two hours or so to go around, just so that he can greet and talk to as many people as possible.

The day after his installation in October 1978, a general audience was given by Pope John Paul II to the various heads of state or their representatives from all over the world. Since the First Lady represented the Philippines, the Vatican official in charge informed Assemblyman Caram and myself that we would no longer be allowed to go up the stage and greet the Holy Father individually, because only one representative was allowed for each country. Knowing the character of Pope John Paul II, I waited until the ceremony was over and when he was walking down the aisle, I called to him: “Your Holiness!” He recognized me instantly, and we both broke through the cordon of cardinals to embrace and greet each other.

Many people and most of the media have been quick to dwell on some of his mannerisms, his habits, and his unique approach to people and to a lot of things. In some cases, the media have projected him as a kind of mass idol or superhero. But these and many others, including some of his flock, may eventually turn away from him because he will not water down, emasculate, compromise or “modernize” the faith just to keep in step with the so-called “progressive” elements in and out of the Church. Should this happen, I venture to say that, like his Master, he would turn to those that are left and ask, “Will you also go?”

Of all the modern popes that I have seen personally or read about, Pope John Paul II, to my mind, is the most Peter-like. And like Peter, he will always and everywhere speak in clear and unmistakable terms and proclaim in the bewildering world of modern man the totality, the profundity, the utter simplicity of the Faith and the boundless love of the Son of Man.

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