THE PLACE AND PROSPECT OF A POLISH PRELATE AS POPE: PROVISIONAL REFLECTIONS ON THE PAPACY OF JOHN PAUL II

In his address diplomats accredited Holy See, Pope John Paul II on 18 October 1978 said that while he was aware of richness diversity of cultures, histories, and languages, he would be found henceforth serving as a Christian and still more as Pope a witness to universal love and that the particular nature of country of his origin was from now on of little importance.1 Thus discuss Polish component new Papacy would appear countervail Pope's express intentions. Nevertheless, his very recognition of plenti tude of human cultures and varieties of modalities of Catholicism itself, pulsating, as he expressed it his inaugural encyclical, in full awareness of their own identity and, at same time, of their own originality within universal unity of church, surely legitimates any attempt understand him as a Pole, however cosmopolitan and ecumeni cally Catholic he may be.