By Dr. Zekeh S. Gbotokuma
FOR THE 1 BILLION+ ROMAN CATHOLICS, OCTOBER 22 IS SAINT JOHN PAUL II’S FEAST. Forty-four years ago on October 16, 1978, a historic event took place in the Roman Catholic Church, that is, the election of a non-Italian Sovereign Pontiff. I am talking about Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Cracow, Poland. He took the name John Paul II. He succeeded Pope John Paul I, the last Italian Pope of the 20th century, whose short pontificate lasted only 33 days. I happened to be among those who viewed his body at the Sistine Chapel before the burial on October 4, 1978. It is worth reminding that there have been 266 Popes. 88 of them came from Rome and the overwhelming majority or 196 came from Italy. Benedict XVI was not the first German Pope. Gregory V held that position from 3 May 996 to 18 February 999. He was succeeded by Sylvester II who was French (Wikipedia).
Pope John Paul II (a.k.a. St John Paul II) Give Holy Communion to Zekeh Gbotokuma During a New Year 1988 Celebration with Diplomatic Corps in St Peter’s Basilica.
On October 16, 2022, Vatican News reminded us of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla’s history-making election, noting that he “is remembered as a figure who dedicated his life for the Church.” He is also remembered for such statements as, “And so I present myself to all of you, to confess our common faith, our hope, our trust in the Mother of Christ and the Church, and also to begin again on this road of history and the Church.” Two of the Polish Pope’s Italian statements through which he reminded us of his ‘foreign’ origin were heard in his acceptance speech when he said, “… lo hanno chiamato da un paese lontano” (…they called him from a foreign country…” and “Se misbaglio mi corregerete (If O make mistakes, you will correct me). Yes, I remember the Polish Pope’ election day. I was among thousands of people who gathered in St Peter’s Square waiting for the White Smoke or ‘Fumata Bianca,‘ in Italian and the big announcement in Latin, “Habemus Papam.”(We Have a Pope). It was the biggest event taking place during my first or second month in “the Eternal City,” where I originally started my stay as a young Zairean (Congolese) seminarian. My theology classmates from the Pontifical Urban University and I stood together. We had a lot of fun guessing who was going to be the new Pope. We held a copy of the Vatican’s newspaper L’Osservatore Romano that had Cardinals’ (candidates’) photographs. Believe it or not, I guessed it right. My guess was based on the use of my Ngbaka ethnic group’s guessing method through the song, Moko Banda. This is the equivalent of the English, “Eenie Meenie Miney Mo.” The Polish Card. and Archbishop of Cracow Karol Wojtyla was the new Pope, “the foreign Pope,” or “il Papa straniero,” in Italian. I was so happy and proud of my strange and unconventional guess, because nobody expected a non-Italian Cardinal to be Pope. Another interesting fact that I personally remember during today’s anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s election is the rare opportunity that I had to serve as one of his Acolyte or Altar Boy on the GOOD FRIDAY 1980.
Pope John Paul II Shakes Hands with and Thanks Zekeh Gbotokuma – then Seminarian and Theology Student at the Pontifical Urban University – for Serving as Acolyte or Altar Boy During the Good Friday 1980 Liturgy (Photo Courtesy: L’Osservatore Romano, Servizio Fotografico)
I left the seminary in 1981. However, I was so interested in this Papa Straniero that I wrote my Licentia or Master’s thesis on him. I wrote it in French and it was titled, “AMOUR ET PERSONNE DANS LA PENSEE DE KAROL WOJTYLA” [Love and Person in Karol Wojtyla’s Thought] (Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana, 1983). I sent a copy to the Pope and I received a nice thank you letter from his Secretary of State. Unfortunately, I picked a different topic for my doctoral dissertation. However, I was in a relatively close contact with the Vatican. During that time, Pope John Paul II’s Personal Secretary (1982-1987), Mgr. Emery Kabongo, was a fellow Zairean (Congolese). As the Secretary General of the Association of African Students in Rome, I visited him once in his Vatican office (located in the close proximity of the Pope’s office) to seek financial support for our cultural activities. He was generous. My connection to the Vatican continued in several different ways, including, for example, Pope John Paul II’s New Year 1988 Liturgy with the Diplomatic Corps. I remember sitting in the area where I received the Holy Communion from the Pope (See Photo above). This was the year after I completed my post-doctoral training in International Studies with the hope of becoming a diplomat, possibly and hopefully through an appointment at the Vatican. None of this happened. I left Rome for the United States in 1990 where I have pursued a career in the academic world, traveling back to Rome only occasionally.
In April 2014, I was delighted to receive a VIP (Diplomatic) ticket to attend the Dual Canonization Ceremony of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in Rome’s St Peter’s Square (See Photos above). I have covered this interesting chapter of my life in my memoir-travelogue titled, “Global Safari: Checking In and Checking Out in Pursuit of World Wisdoms, the American Dream and Cosmocitizenship” (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015), 715 pages.
In celebration of Saint John Paul II, I join many Roman Catholics in praying and invoking, Saint John Paul II, pray for us.
Pope Francis & Clergymen Celebrate Eucharist During the Canonization Ceremony of Popes John XXIII & John Paul II. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was also present.
Pope Francis – Surrounded by Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, etc. – Incensing Around the Holy Mass Altar. He Presided over the Canonization Ceremony of Popes John XXIII & John Paul II on Sunday, April 27, 2014.
Dr. Zekeh Gbotokuma Shakes Hands with a Swiss Guard at the End of a Visit to the Vatican’s Osservatore Romano Office that he visited to request the permission to use his photographs with Pope JP II in his memoir. August 12, 2013.
About the Author
Dr. Zekeh S. Gbotokuma is the founder of Polyglots in Action for Diversity, Inc. (PAD), globetrotter, linguist (lexicographer), and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Morgan State University. He is the author/editor of numerous publications including, for example, OBAMANOMICS AND FRANCISCONOMICS (2022 #ObamanomicsandFrancisconomics); DEMOCRACY AND DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE USA (2020); GLOBAL SAFARI (2015); A POLYGLOT POCKET DICTIONARY OF LINGALA, ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND ITALIAN (2016); A PAN-AFRICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA (2003). He is one of “the Key Figures in the African Intellectual Revolution” (QUORA), and the Morgan State University’s SANDYE JEAN MCINTYR II, INTERNATIONAL AWARD 2008.
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