27/06/2014

Paloma Gómez Borrero: «John Paul II Was a Great Expert on Humanity»

The Spanish journalist Paloma Gómez Borrero was invited by the Vice Rector for the University Community to give a talk at the UIC on Tuesday, 28 January 2014. Gómez, who currently works with a variety of Spanish and international media outlets, was a correspondent on papal matters during the trips made by John Paul II throughout his 27 years as Pope, and considered herself "privileged" to have been able to accompany him on his 104 trips to destinations around the world (including five in Spain). The journalist told a number of anecdotes involving the Pole, who is to be canonized this year on 27 April.

The majority of Gómez’s talk comprised a recollection of her firsthand experiences during visits to Cuba, Montreal, Vienna, Jerusalem and other places. “When he came to Barcelona [in 1982] the heavens opened and it seemed impossible that people would come out in such a downpour. But there they were, and it made a big impression on John Paul II. He said that he wouldn’t leave without going to see the Virgin of Montserrat. The organizers tried to dissuade him, but he insisted and went to Montserrat, despite the terrible weather”, she recounted. “His meetings with young people were always unforgettable”, Gómez continued. “The same goes for Benedict XVI. And it’s a fact that young people played a big part during John Paul II’s 27 years as Pope”.

The journalist paid particular attention to the Pope’s visits to Spain. “For me, his first and last visits were the most memorable”, Gómez recalled. She highlighted his last visit in May 2003, when the “travelling Pope” – as he had come to be known – was seriously ill. “He wanted to meet the youngsters, but they told him it was a very bad time: the students had exams, it was after Easter and so on. But he wanted to see them, even if there were only a few”, she said. In fact, those “few” were actually almost a million young people, all of whom came to say goodbye to the Pope at Cuatro Vientos airbase. “They knew they wouldn’t have another chance”, Gómez said.

She also spoke about the times John Paul II met Mother Teresa of Calcutta, his audience with Mikael Gorbachev and his wife, his trip to Cuba and the impression he made on Fidel Castro, and his journey to the Holy Land. She recalled the intensity of the Pope’s visit to the monument to the concentration camps. “But I think it was harder for Benedict XVI, because he asked for forgiveness on behalf of his own country”, she remarked.

Gómez concluded her talk with some personal reflections on John Paul II. “What stood out most about this Pope was his great expertise with people. He always knew what you had and always knew what you needed. He was always very considerate towards other people”.

Paloma Gómez Borrero is known for her work as a correspondent for TVE and the COPE network in Italy and Vatican City, and regularly contributes to numerous television programmes as an expert on Vatican politics.