He left a piece of himself in the heart of each of us...

It was understood later. It was only later, when the extraordinary elation associated with this kind of mass manifestation had passed, that it was understood that in the deep deposits of conscience there was a thirst for infinity. That is to say, there was a lingering belief that in the presence of this man, this Pope, even after his death, the closeness of God could be clearly felt. Precisely because Karol Wojtyła, with his faith, his life and his mission, has closely connected the cause of the Gospel with the cause of man, the primacy of God with the central place for the person. That is why, if today, from the memory of him, but also – I would like to say this – so many extraordinary spiritual fruits are born from his tomb, this cannot be explained other than what we call the "heritage of hearts". Hearts speak and are speaking all the time because they have the ability to push the limits of time. Also, the barrier erected by death. Maybe someone will reluctantly move their shoulders. But, by agreeing to all the limitations of this kind of phenomenon, this "legacy of the heart" is particularly evident in the unmeasurable number of public premises, especially in bars, especially on the outskirts of large and small cities, both in Europe and in Latin America. Entering you immediately see the image of John Paul II, often with a candle lit next to it. Or three candles, like in a small bar next to a church, in a Sicilian village near Taormina. Noticing my amazement, the owner of the premises stopped preparing mea cup of coffee, took off his beret and said: "Sir, may you remember that this Pope left a piece of himself in the heart of each of us..." He was a simple but serious man, convinced.
With the permission of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – "At the side of the Saint"
St. Stanislaw BM Publishing House, Krakow 2013