Commonly, the Sistine Chapel is associated primarily with the conclave. The first one took place here shortly after its creation, in 1492, at the request of Pope Sixtus IV. At the time of the election of a new Pope, the fate of the Church is at stake in this chapel... and often the whole world. This was undoubtedly the case on October 16, 1978.
- The new Pope greeted each of us, those who worked on the conclave. We waited for him in the Hall of Blessings. First, he went in procession with other Cardinals through the Royal Hall to the balcony in the hall. We were standing against the wall on the right. It was immediately clear that he would break protocol. He spoke freely, did not adhere to strictly defined rules; began to conduct a kind of dialogue with a crowd of people on the square. Completely different from his predecessors. And, then an indescribable uproar broke out. When John Paul II returned inside, he exchanged a word with each of us. He devoted a moment to everyone. This personal contact with another human being distinguished him from the very beginning.
Magdalena Wolińska-Riedi "It happened in the Vatican"
Znak Publishing House. Kraków 2020
Pages: 33 – 34
