Pope's last wish ignored as private papers kept for 'posterity'

Warsaw, Poland - John Paul II's former private secretary has ignored the late pontiff's dying wish that his private papers be destroyed, saying the documents were a "great treasure" that should be kept for posterity.

The late pope said in his last will and testament, which was published a few days after his death, that he had asked Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz to oversee the burning of his personal documents and notes.

But the archbishop disclosed at the weekend that he had so far refused to comply. "Nothing has been burned," he told Polish state radio, "Nothing is fit for burning. Everything should be preserved and kept for history, for the future generations - every single sentence.

"These are great riches that should gradually be made available to the public."

Archbishop Dziwisz said he felt that his devotion to the memory of the late pope outweighed his responsibility to burn the papers. He suggested that they would contribute to the process of canonising John Paul II as a saint.

His disclosure will trigger speculation about the contents of the documents, which could include the late pope's reflections on international events and personalities as well as spiritual insights.

Many will also be surprised by Archbishop Dziwisz's apparent act of disobedience to the late pope's wishes.

He worked alongside John Paul II for nearly 40 years and was regarded as his most trusted aide and confidant.

His role as "gatekeeper", zealously controlling access to the late Pope, irritated some in the Curia and added to their resentment of the influence of the Polish contingent in Rome. But his loyalty was rewarded on Friday when he was appointed Archbishop of Krakow in Poland by the new pope, Benedict XVI, another close aide to the late pontiff.

Krakow was John Paul II's archdiocese before he was elected to the papacy in 1978.

Pope John Paul II said in a March 1979 entry to his testament, which was written over a number of years, that he left no material property and asked that Archbishop Dziwisz burn all his personal notes.

The testament was, however, a spiritual rather than legal document and has only moral rather than legal force.

Archbishop Dziwisz told Polish radio on Saturday that he had saved "quite a lot of manuscripts on various issues" but declined to elaborate further.

The archbishop said he had also kept his own copious daily notes, in 27 volumes, about the late pope and they could be made public to help the canonisation process.

Last month, Benedict XVI announced that he was lifting a five-year waiting period for the start of the process toward beatification, the last formal step before the late pontiff could be made a saint.

Archbishop Dziwisz became secretary to Karol Wojtyla in 1966 when he was archbishop of Krakow and remained at John Paul II's side throughout his pontificate.

In 1981, when John Paul was shot by Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk, Dziwisz held him in his arms as he was rushed from St Peter's Square to hospital. He has published a book about the assassination attempt.

Archbishop Dziwisz also said in the radio interview there was a general expectation that Pope Benedict XIV would not travel as extensively as his predecessor, but that he would like to visit Krakow and the Polish capital, Warsaw.