"The chapel is in front of the stairs on the first floor. Its walls are covered with faux marble of ivory colour. ... The archbishop always begins his day in this chapel on his kneeler at 5:30 in the morning as the first trams wake up the neighbourhood with their metallic screech.
"Archbishop Wojtyla is a man of prayer. Everyday, he spends many hours before dawn in the chapel prayoing as a way of preparing for the day ahead. At 7 am, he celebrates the Eucharist with some sisters and co-workers. At 8 am, he returns to the archbishop's palace for breakfast (fresh cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and milk) prepared by the sisters. As soon as he is done with breakfast, he goes back to the chapel. On the left side of the altar is a specially designed lectern with a folding wooden shelf. It is located near a char and a kneeler. A radiator and a lamp are placed nearby. Arranged this way, he is able to kneel and meditate, or sit to read and write. To make sure that he is not disturbed or distracted, he locks the door of the chapel. Immersed in silence before the Blessed Sacrament, he writes his homilies, pastoral letters and episcopal communiqués. At 11 am, the archbishop leaves the chapl and goes to his office.
"The door of Archbishop Wojtyla's office is open to all. He receives whoever comes. To see him, one has to stand in line,w hich lasts typically for more than two hours. Every parishioner of Krakow knows that there is no need for an appointment if one desires to see the archbishop for counsel regarding personal problems.
"At 1:30 pm, the line of people ends. The archbishop then goes to lunch, usually inviting the last person in line to share the meal with him. After mealtime, he takes a ten-minute nap in an armchair in order to avoid falling into deep sleep. Then, after a quick review of the questions and problems of the day with his chancellor, he goes for a short walk. As soon as he gets back, he begins the daily marathon that consists of parochial visits and sacramental celebrations in the four corners of his archdiocese. ...
"Often the archbishop is invited to dinner and usually returns late to his private apartment on the first floor of the palace. The apartment has a small entrance that leads to a study and a tiny bedroom. The modest furnishings include a single bed, on which a worn out woolen quilt and a pillow with folkloric designs rest; a plastic lamp by the headboard where the light switch is; a bedside table, on which a rosary, a thermos and a glass lie. Near the bed, on the wooden floor, is a pair of black shoes and old slippers. An image of the Blessed Mother and a Polish winter landscape adorn the walls of the room. ...
"After 11 in the evening, life seems to stop at number 3, Franciszkanska Street. The corridors are deserted; the grand staircase is silent. Only a light filters trough the slits of the doors of the chapel; the archbishop is praying."
(Bernard Lecomte, John Paul II. Gallimard: 2006)
