At the age of 75, Brother Marian Markiewicz CFCI passed away, the former driver of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła. It was he who drove him to the memorable 1978 conclave.
Brother Marian Markiewicz was born in Sulejów on the Pilica River in 1951. He began his religious formation at the age of 18 and made his first vows in the Congregation of the Brothers of the Heart of Jesus in 1970. His superiors assigned him to serve at the Archcathedral of Warsaw during the time of Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland. It was then that Markiewicz met Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko. He also witnessed the priestly ordination of this future martyr of communist times in Poland.
From 1977 to 1982, he worked as a driver at the Polish Pontifical College in Rome, where Cardinal Wojtyła stayed. When he emerged from the 1978 conclave as John Paul II, he began to jokingly call his driver “the Culprit.”
After returning to Poland, Brother Markiewicz was diagnosed with a spinal tumor. When, after surgery, he faced the prospect of a wheelchair, he asked John Paul II for prayers and soon recovered.
Recently, on 29 May 2026, a commemorative exhibition of Brother Markiewicz’s photographs with John Paul II was held at the Polish Pontifical College. He also presented his memoir book, to which—following the nickname given to him by the Pope from Poland—he gave the title “Winowajca” (“The Culprit”).
The exhibition was attended by representatives of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation: Msgr. Paweł Ptasznik (Chairman), Msgr. Dariusz Giers (Administrator), and Fr. Tomasz Podlewski (Director of Media and Events). Sadly, it was the last earthly meeting with Brother Markiewicz. We are grateful to God for the witness of his life and humble service, as well as for the gift of that recent encounter, which will remain in our memory for a long time.
