Spojrzenie na pielgrzymki Jana Pawła II oczami teologa i dziennikarza

Pilgrimages of John Paul II as seen by a theologian and a journalist

Summary: "The man of the media", "the pilgrim of hope", "the pilgrim of peace" or simply "the pilgrim" - these are the words which used to appear on the headlines of the news on John Paul II travels all over the world. It would be difficult to put the pontificate of John Paul II only in these words. Nevertheless they reflect the Pope's power of expression and the wealth of his ministry which the mass media needed to digest. The Pope's pilgrimages were the new project in the ministry of successors of St Peter and the service for the world and the Church itself, at least in the first phase of his office at the Holy See, though from a theological point of view they were less unique than they seemed. However, the predecessors of John Paul II rarely resorted to this form of apostolic service. By undertaking numerous apostolic journeys, much demanding, both in terms of the physical and intellectual effort, the Pope made the world aware that the Church has its obligation and the missionary zeal from the love for God and people is needed. Soon the Pope's pilgrimages proved to be one of the most effective ways to reveal the love for God and man. By choosing the life of a pilgrim, John Paul II in some ways reflected the vision of the Second Vatican Council which redirected the Church to the paths of the world - it was not about waiting for people but rather going out to meet them, staying close and accompanying them in the ups and downs of their lives. It was a perfect way to make the message of faith and love not so dry and to restore the atmosphere and enthusiasm which accompanied the early days of the preaching of the Gospels. John Paul II spared no effort to seek allies for his apostolic mission everywhere, and in particular in the media. The ubiquity of the media during papal pilgrimages had a positive effect - they revealed the life of religious people to the world, promoting authenticity and transparency in the message of faith. Hence the mission of the media as seen by John Paul II - to bring faith, to give hope, to encourage the pursuance of the truth. The media proved to be extremely useful in this respect, in particular during his pilgrimages to Poland.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 2007, z. 18, s. 65-75.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISSN 1425-1922

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