Pope to write less than John Paul, visit Poland

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict has indicated in his
first wide-ranging interview that his papacy would not be a
maverick one but instead aimed at ensuring that the teachings
of his predecessor John Paul are understood and assimilated.

In the long interview broadcast on Polish television on
Sunday night, Benedict also said he hoped to visit Poland, his
predecessor’s homeland, next June.

He said John Paul was still guiding him, saying: “A man who
goes to the Lord does not disappear.”

A English translation of the recorded interview, given to
mark the 27th anniversary of the election of John Paul on
October 16, 1978, was provided by Vatican Radio.

In the interview, the Pope said clearly that he planned to
issue far fewer documents than John Paul, who wrote 14
encyclicals and dozens of other major documents.

The issuing of encyclicals, pastoral letters and other
writings are the main methods popes traditionally use to make
major decisions that affect the life of the Church and its 1.1
billion members.

“My personal mission is not to issue many new documents,
but to ensure that his (John Paul’s) documents are assimilated,
because they are a rich treasure, the authentic interpretation
of Vatican II,” he said.

The 1962-65 Second Vatican Council which the pope referred
to in the interview ushered in many reforms that brought the
Roman Church up to date with the modern world.

Its many major documents encouraged dialogue with other
religions and phased out the use of the old-style Latin mass in
favor of masses in local languages.

IN A GIANT’S SHADOW

The Pontiff, who several times referred to the late Pope as
“Holy Father” almost as if he were still alive, said the “rich
patrimony” of John Paul’s teachings, writings and example “has
not yet been assimilated by the Church.”

He said he still felt a spiritual affinity with John Paul,
whom he has put on the fast track to sainthood.

“The Pope is always close to me through his writings: I
hear him and I see him speaking, so I can keep up a continuous
dialogue with him,” he said.

In words that indicated that he sometimes felt he was still
living in the shadow of a giant, he continued:

“I am near the Pope and now he helps me to be near the Lord
and I try to enter this atmosphere of prayer, of love for our
Lord, for Our Lady and I entrust myself to his prayers. So
there is a permanent dialogue and we’re close to each other in
a new way, in a very deep way.”

Benedict, who worked with John Paul for more than 20 years,
said he had opened up the Church to the world by championing
moral values and that he had made “an essential contribution”
to the collapse of communism in Poland in 1989.

In several emotional parts of the interview he recalled
several of his last meetings with the sick Pope, who died on
April 2 after leading the Church for more than 26 years.

He confirmed that he has “every intention” of visiting John
Paul’s Poland next summer.

“It’s early yet, but perhaps next June, God willing, I
could come to Poland,” he said.

Benedict has so far made only one foreign trip — to his
native Germany in August.