(Emilia & Karol Wojtyla SR. with son Edmund)
Saint Pope John Paul II is one of the best Popes in the history of the Church. His spirituality must have started in his mothers womb, partly from her good influence!
I just saw this post from Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil)on 𝕏 about Emelia Wojtyla — JPII’s mother — who was advised to have an abortion because her first Obstetrician suspected grave problems with the pregnancy, but she chose to continue with the pregnancy. The future Saint was born on 18 May 1920.
Emilia Kaczorowska was born in Kraków (at the time, Austria-Hungary) on 26 March 1884 and married Karol Wojtyła. They had 3 children, the youngest being Karol Józef Wojtyła, future Pope John Paul II between 1978 - 2005. (The title photo is Emelia and Karol Sr. with first born, Edmund.)
This dreadful choice was documented in a book by Milena Kindziuk “Emilia and Karol Wojtyla: Parents of St. John Paul II” which “cited the “testimony of a midwife” and “reports of her two friends,” as well as the memories of other residents of the Pontiff’s birthplace, according to the report.” (This might not be widely known because the book was written in Polish and published in 2020.)
This passage is taken from an article in Aleteia.
Her trusted gynaecologist had told her: there is no chance of having a baby alive and in good health. One day, that child who was not to be born would become John Paul II…It was the autumn of 1919, and Emilia's gynecologist, Dr. Jan Moskała, had announced a devastating diagnosis: "Your pregnancy is seriously at risk and there is no chance of carrying it to term or having a baby alive and healthy."
To make matters worse, there was a risk that Emilia herself would not survive the birth, even if the baby would survive.
"Emilia Wojtyła," says Milena Kindziuk, "was depressed by the doctor's insistence on having an abortion. He was fully aware of the threat to his and his son's lives, especially as the diagnosis came from the mouth of Wadowice's best-known obstetrician at the time. At that time, she had to choose between her own life and that of the child she was carrying, but her deep faith did not allow Emilia to choose abortion."
Emilia consulted at length with her husband Karol "senior", and they made "a courageous decision that, no matter what, their conceived child should be born. And so they started looking for another doctor. Their choice fell on Dr. Samuel Taub, who worked in Wadowice and visited the barracks. Karol turned to him for help, hoping to save the lives of both his wife and his conceived son.
The birth took place on May 18, 1920. "We know from the messages that Emilia asked the midwife to open the window," says Kindziuk, "she wanted the first sound her son could hear to be a song in honor of Mary. In short, Emilia Wojtyła gave birth to her son, listening to the song of the Litany of Loreto. The baby was born exceptionally big and strong. He was a healthy boy who cried loudly, as if he wanted to drown out the singing of the people in the church."
The mother, the writer concludes, "was very excited, but also full of joy and happiness for this miracle: both the child and she were living. The impossible has become possible."
Kevin Hay
You can follow Kevin on 𝕏 @kevinhay77