On the Trail of Pope John Paul II in Krakow

I'll be honest, I thought I was looking at the tomb of Pope John Paul II.

In fact, until about five minutes ago - over a month after visiting Poland - I believed that I'd stood in front of the pontiff's mausoleum.

In my defense, Wawel Cathedral was heaving with people. Tour groups and school parties vied for space, pressed close so not to lose their fellows. Harassed leaders yelled over each other, trying to impart information through the din, while shepherding their charges through the crowds.

Even those with perfect hearing were struggling to comprehend our own tour guide, particularly since she spoke so fast in heavily accented English. I didn't have a chance. I'm partially deaf.

My clues had been picked up from the commentary outside, and all I could lip-read or observe now. I knew that this was once the primary cathedral in all Poland. It was the burial place for every monarch in Polish history, and several other worthies besides.

I lip-read the name of Pope John Paul II.

I saw a sodding great mausoleum. It was impressive enough to elicit a gasp, as soon as I clapped eyes on it. There was a framed section clearly headlined Pope John Paul II, containing what appeared to be a red seal, and turned out to be a circular vial of blood. There was a pope looking hat engraved into the monument!

The image does not convey the sheer size of the mausoleum. My head was craned right back in order to survey the gleaming sculptures atop the silver coffin. That chest was long enough to persuade me that an adult's remains could be inside.

But it wasn't the mausoleum of Pope John Paul II. It could have been though! The pontiff did muse upon coming home upon his demise, but ultimately left the decision to the Council of Cardinals. They dismissed Krakow out of hand and shoved him under St Peter's Basilica in Rome instead.

That monumental tomb in Wawel Cathedral belonged instead to St Stanislaus.

In compensation for not getting the Pope's Earthly remains, the Vatican sent the blood relic to Krakow instead. It was this which rested upon the saint's mausoleum, causing me so much confusion.

However, this does not end the former Pope's association with Wawel Cathedral.

Karol was in Krakow that day. He lived there. As the warning came that stormtroopers were closing in on his street, the young actor fell to his knees in a room (or basement) of his uncle's house. He prayed fervently that he would not be found.

But, as guards crashed through the front door and began their search of the property, it seemed like his prayers could come to no avail.

They walked right past him. As Karol prayed in plain sight, the Nazis tore through every potential hidey-hole in the house, yet seemed not to see him at all. As soon as they left, he and his female cousin stared at each other in utter disbelief. But there was no time to waste.

She secreted him away to the Archbishop's Palace, where the waiting clerics were pleased to lend Karol a cassock and pretend that he was one of them. He couldn't make liars of them, especially since it seemed like some guardian angel had kept him safe from arrest.

Karol was ordained into the priesthood in Wawel Cathedral. He officiated over his first ever mass there. Twelve years later, he was back before that same altar being confirmed as Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow, serving under Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak.

From then, Karol's progress appeared nothing short of astronomical. Within months, he was being ordained as Poland's youngest ever bishop, again in Wawel Cathedral.

Four years later, following the death of Archbishop Baziak, Karol became the main priest in Wawel Cathedral. He was made Vicar Capitular - a kind of temporary administrator, who keeps things ticking over until the new archbishop can be appointed.

There's a certain inevitability about the fact that the new Archbishop of Krakow turned out to be Karol himself. From there, it was just a short step towards becoming a cardinal, and finally the Pope. All but the latter occurred for him in Wawel Cathedral, so yes, his ties there were very personal indeed.

In Krakow, it's much more than that. Neither my friend nor I are Catholics, yet conversations with local people touched upon the pontiff quite regularly. There was a passion there. There was a discernible reverence in their tone, and excitement too.

We were there just days after the announcement had been made that John Paul II was going to be canonized as a saint. I'd missed the bulletin, but my friend was on the ball. She asked a tour driver about the reaction in Krakow, and I watched his face light up.

He took us out of his way to show us sites of significance to the pontiff. His passion was infectious. I found myself staring up at windows, where another religion's spiritual leader had once peered out, and considered myself in awe.

Nor was the driver alone in such sentiments. I heard them repeated throughout Krakow.

Pope John Paul II was more than the pontiff for the people there. It even transcended the familiarity of him being a home-grown son. He was spoken about as a hero, already sainted in the Polish mind, before the Vatican ever confirmed it. To hear the tales, witness the inner fervor, was to understand that there was something more than a mere human could ever encapsulate.

Our driver finally articulated it, and aware, I heard it hinted at on other tours and in other conversations too. During the days of Communism and Polish Solidarity, Pope John Paul II had represented hope.

Nor had his death changed that one iota.

Those visits would be home-comings in every sense of the word. As Father Karol Wojtyla, he actually lived in those adjacent buildings from 1951 until he was made Archbishop in 1963. Then he moved to the Bishop's Palace at 3 Franciszkanska Street.

Yet it was to 19-21 Kanonicza Street that he returned as Pope. He slept in his old bed, in his old room, and presumably felt absolutely at home.

This is now the Archdiocese Museum. It is almost completely devoted to Pope John Paul II, with exhibits made up of the things that he left behind. When he left for the final time, his private rooms were not touched. But for a bit of dusting and the sweep of a vacuum cleaner, time stands still there. It looks like he only just departed and could be back at any moment.

These rooms too can be glimpsed by visitors peeping in from the doorways.

While the Archdiocese Museum is mostly all about its former resident, there are occasional exhibits from the wider Catholic church. These include Medieval artwork and items on loan from the Vatican.

These are still busy, vital centers of spirituality. In amongst the gaping tourists, there can be found a quiet pew, and people grasping a moment's peace to pray. I'm not a Catholic, but it felt like a good place for it. The atmosphere practically buzzes with the cumulative centuries of worship there.

I recommend a visit to Krakow's Medieval churches for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. They will not disappoint.