Śladami Boga w historii - pielgrzymki Jana Pawła II w Roku Wielkiego Jubileuszu do miejsc związanych z historią zbawienia

Retracing God's footsteps through history. John Paul II's pilgrimages during the great jubilee year to places linked to the salvation

Summary: blished a very personal document, the "Letter on Pilgrimages to Places Linked to the Salvation". In it he spoke expressly about his desire to embark on the road retracing the God's historical revelations, an initiative unprecedented in the history of the Papacy. The Holy Father's journey, to which he invited the entire Church, started surprisingly with a 'spiritual journey' to the Chaldean city of Ur. This location in southern Iraq witnessed the calling on Abraham to set on the road to the Promised Land. Unable to visit the Abraham's land personally in the face of a complicated international situation, the Pope found a way to bypass this obstacle. On the following day, i.e. on 24 February, the Pope landed in Egypt. The main point of his visit to the land of the Pharaohs was a trip to the famous St. Catherine's monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai where the God gave the law to Moses. The law carved in slabs of stone and in people's hearts. The Pope reiterated that the Decalogue's Ten Commandments constitute a universal moral law ensuring happiness for an individual, a family and a society. The Commandments should also be used in building an international order and peace among religions. On 20 March 2000, the Pope set off for the Holy Land. He started with Jordan followed by Israel, including the Palestine Autonomy. At the time of the visit the Palestine-Israel conflict was relatively quiet. Thousands of pilgrims poured in the Holy Land during that Jubilee year and with them was the Bishop of Rome wishing to retrace the footsteps of the Saviour. The Pope visited the holy places primarily as a Christian believer, but the whole of the Church accompanied him. Particularly touching moments occurred during John Paul II's silent prayers in absolute concentration at the sites commemorating Annunciation, the Saviour's Birthday, as well as the day of Death and the Resurrection. The Pope was making great efforts to reconcile people; he met with all creeds: the Jews, Muslims and Christians of various denominations. He found time talk to politicians on both the Israeli and the Palestine side. In threading this fragile ground he displayed a great skill and always remained true to himself. The last pilgrimage in the footsteps of the Saviour took him to Greece, Syria and Malta. Following the footsteps of Paul the Apostle the Pope lead us through a great variety of religions and denominations; he pointed out ways to overcome mistrust and prejudice. He demonstrated his quality of fearlessness when meeting the initially unfriendly representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church. In Syria, he displayed great perseverance in his determination to seek out features that bound together the great religions and for the first time in history crossed the threshold of a mosque. The Jubilee Year 2000 will remain in our memory as a pilgrimage in the spirit of faith, as a time of building bridges and overcoming barriers.

Domański B., Skiba S. (red.), 2005, Geografia i Sacrum, tom 1, IGiGP UJ, Kraków, s. 253-264.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISBN 83-88424-42-4

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