Saint John Paul II and the Beggar Priest
Scott Hahn, an American theologian (a Protestant who converted to Catholicism), shared a story about Saint John Paul II that he heard from his spiritual director during a talk on Mother Angelica Live, an EWTN TV programme, on 25th April 2001.
An American priest from the Archdiocese of New York was in Rome and had a scheduled audience with Pope Saint John Paul II. On his way to the appointment, he decided to stop at a nearby church to pray, where he recognised one of the beggars at the door. He realised that he knew the man: he was a former classmate from the seminary who had been ordained a priest with him. Now he was begging on the streets.
The priest identified himself, greeted him, and heard from the beggar how he had lost his faith and his vocation.
The audience time was coming, so he left the place deeply shaken by the story of his friend. As the audience went on, the Pope turned to the attendees, with his Secretary delivering rosaries and shaking hands. When it was the American priest’s turn, he was able to tell the story of the beggar priest to the Pope. The Holy Father looked concerned and assured him that he would pray for his friend.
Later that day, the American priest received an invitation from the Holy Father to dinner, and he was asked to bring his old friend. The priest hurried back to the street and found his friend still there. He approached him and told him about the encounter with the Pope and the invitation. After convincing him, he managed to bring him to his hotel room so that he could shower and change clothes.
Dinner proceeded successfully, and at one point, the Pope’s Secretary approached the American priest, asking him to step out into the hall, leaving the beggar priest alone with the Pope.
After some time, the beggar priest emerged from the room in tears. When his friend asked what had happened, he responded:
The Holy Father asked me to hear his confession, to which I replied, ‘Your Holiness, look at me, I am a beggar, not a priest.’
The Pope looked at him and said:
My son, once a priest, always a priest. And who among us is not a beggar? I too come before the Lord as a beggar, asking forgiveness for my sins.
