Vatican City, Apr 6, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Earlier today, the Vatican released the last will and spiritual testament of Pope John Paul II, read yesterday for the first time by gathered cardinals.
The frequently updated document, originally written in the pope’s native Polish, expresses the pope’s profound gratitude for all those who have accompanied him in his time as pontiff.
Quoting the words of Matthew’s Gospel, which read, "Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming,” the Holy Father wrote that “these words remind me of the last call, which will happen at the moment the Lord wishes.
He continued: “I desire to follow Him, and I desire that everything making up part of my earthly life should prepare me for this moment. I do not know when the moment will come, but like everything else, I place it too in the hands of the Mother of my Master: Totus Tuus.”