Dramatyczny wymiar życia i dzieła Karola Wojtyły - Jana Pawła II

The author is aiming to show how far K. Wojtyła – John Paul II – was involved in the historical events of the world. As pope, he took on responsibility not only for the Church, but also for the whole of humankind. The large extent of his pastoral activity, his worldwide visits and his personal contact with many people gave him the opportunity to approach the true nature of the social, political and spiritual dramas of the world. It is interesting to see this approach from the perspective of the dramatic dimension of his personal life, his private experience of loneliness, suffering and death. This paper offers an existential and personalistic analysis provided by the classical playwrights Calderón de la Barca and William Shakespeare, the philosophers of dramatic theatre Henri Gouhier and the theologian of the drama of God and man Hans Urs von Balthasar. The idea of a global theatre – theatrum mundi – and the theatre of God – theatrum Dei – played an essential role in the life of Pope John Paul II, unless he never wanted to be associated with acting. His role and his mission were in complete coexistence in his one person. If anybody wanted to see him as an actor, he should see him as an actor of God’s theatre, playing roles of the theatre of humankind. In doing this he was able to reach the essential meaning of different kinds of human dramas, to bring them to the light of hope, of God’s mercy and love.