Funeral rites came to an end. A great silence descended into St. Peter's Square, as if suddenly time had stopped. The moment of parting was approaching. Parting with the coffin, with what it meant, but not with this man empowered with the power of the Gospel. People could not part away with a man like Karol Wojtyła, who put seeds all over the world. And suddenly, above the heads appeared inscriptions with only two words: Santo subito. The same words chanted faceless voices, immersed in an oceanic crowd. They chanted in equal rhythm: Santo subito, Santo subito. (...) It was a recognition of holiness from Christian people, who took John Paul II as an example and followed his footsteps because of his faith, his apostolic courage, his so much credible testimony of God's presence in history, and the dignity of every human being. And in the end, wasn't it a return to the beginning? A return to the times when the holiness of someone – before the necessary canonical examination – was signaled and emphasized mostly by people, on the basis of direct experience, looking at the pattern of Christian human life?
So, weren’t these inscriptions an expression of the Church becoming "young" again? The church which was returning to its evangelical beginnings?
Indeed, taking all this into account, these inscriptions and cheers which wanted to convey that Karol Wojtyła, after receiving such abundant gifts, was giving them away, was sharing with others. He took a place in people's hearts.
With the permission of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – "At the side of the Saint"
St. Stanislaw BM Publishing House, Krakow 2013
