5. Popes of a Lifetime

[John]

5. Cardinal Sarah shares the impact on his life of the various popes during his lifetime. While few if any of us will have had the direct personal exposure to popes that Cardinal Sarah has had, how have the popes during your lifetime impacted your life?

[Kathy]

5

[Manuel]

Being less than one year younger than Cardinal Sarah, I have known the same seven Popes that he knew. Pius XII was the Pope when I was a child; then came John XXIII, who was Pope when I was a teenager; then Paul VI, during whose Papacy I was married and my children were born; then the two John-Pauls; Benedict XVI; and Francis I.

Although I have read Encyclicals and other publications by all of them save John-Paul I, I feel myself mentally nearest to Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger). I find his writings the clearest. And the Pope who had the strongest spiritual impact on me was John-Paul II, although, being a Pole, his writings are slightly harder :-)

[Fonch]

I have only lived with three popes the Last three.

[Fonch]

Honorable gentlemen of the Pope John Paul I is really a good book. And It is a hit struggle against the progressive Pope that some Fools wanted to sell us. It is One of the best religious books that i have ever Read. There are Letters that Albino Luciani wrote to famous dead people the Last is to Jesus Christ.

[Mariangel]

Cardinal Sarah says that Pius XII was very well liked in Africa. He also defends his position during WWII, as he says he knows by experience how hard is to deal "with mad and dangerous dictators, words can sometimes prove counterproductive."

About John Paul II, he focuses a lot on his last illness and death.

Though Paul VI was the pope when I was born, the first pope I remember is John Paul II, and he surely is the one who has had the biggest influence on me, and about whom I have read the most.

[John]

John XXIII was pope when I was born, but like Mariangel, the first pope I remember is John Paul II, though I had already left the Church by the time of his election and reverted just the year before his death, so I can't say he had a huge spiritual influence on me. Benedict XVI has had the greatest impact. I remember reading some of his work and being blown away. My reaction was "but this is brilliant; why didn't anyone tell me this before!?"

[Fonch]

About Pious XII in his period was a very beloved Pope. He was the Pope of my father. The struggle against Pious XII It was unthinkable. In the case of my mam was very influenced by John XXIII the Good Pope.

[Fonch]

Seeing the book of the Cardinal Sarah i totally agree with him particularly in his opinion Pio XII, John Paul I, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.