The influence of the mysticism and faith of St. John of the Cross in Wojtyła/John Paul II

Abstract

This research work seeks to highlight the influence that the great Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross has had on the work of Karol Wojtyła-John Paul II,how Wojtyla met the Spanish mystic through Tyranowski and the influx found in Wojtyla’s PhD work. St John’s of the Cross authority and influence forges Wojtyla’s "style of thinking", which matures and reaches new horizons. The core of Wojtyla’s philosophical and theological vision is already found in his doctoral thesis, focused on the theology of faith in the writings of St. John of the Cross; the key guidelines of Wojtyła's thought are already present in this early work. The encounter with this mystic led Wojtyla to a transformation of his poetic work and the influence is neat in his literary style. The protagonist in Wojtyla’s poetry is man and his intimacy. He found in St. John the unity of philosophy, phenomenological description and poetry. The encounter with St. John’s works was key in Wojtyla’s choice for poetry as the first way to express his thinking. Thus, the core of his theological and mystical conception is found in his early days and it is part of the essential thoughts and legacy he granted us. The reading of the poems of St. John of the Cross has contributed to the crystallization of Wojtyla’s poetic style leading him to an interior transformation of his poetic work.