April 19, 2011. (Romereports.com) Every day thousands of people pass by the tomb of John Paul II. Some are tourists, others just curious, but the vast majority are people with a great devotion and affection for the pope. Many of them pray at his tomb and in some cases leave messages. The journalist Elisabetta Lo Iacono has collected and read more than 2,000 of these messages in the book “Caro Signor Papa.”

Elisabetta Lo Iacono
Author, “Caro Signor Papa”
“I received the permission to access this material. For my own part, I approached it with great delicacy while reading so many intimate and personal stories. So I obviously could not use real names or any information whose origin could be recognized.”

Those who write these messages often ask for the healing of a sickness, help in difficult situations and in many cases just advice. But Elisabetta Lo Iacono says there is something special in these notes to John Paul II.

Elisabetta Lo Iacono
Author, “Caro Signor Papa”
“There are some very nice requests and memories, there was one that spoke about asking for the grace of having a child and months later the ultrasound of the child was left there, thanks to John Paul II.”

The messages that were very personal, Elisabetta Lo Iacono considered with extreme delicacy. They were more than just a dialogue between John Paul II and the young people, adults and children worldwide.

Elisabetta Lo Iacono
Author, “Caro Signor Papa”
“It's a dialogue with a friend, someone in the family and this is evident in the messages, because they're very colloquial. Especially by young people who use acronyms, the language of text messages, e-mails. Like I heart you, I love you and different symbols. It shows one way of addressing John Paul II with a closeness, like when you speak with a good friend.”

In many of these letters, there are precise details and petitions for help with people often leaving their contact information, as if waiting for a response from the pope.

Elisabetta Lo Iacono
Author, “Caro Signor Papa”
“There is a direct relationship with John Paul II, as if he were still alive. You can see that many people don't just sign their name, but they also include their address or telephone number. As if once the letter was received and read, Pope Wojtyla could then answer them in writing or with a phone call.”

Some of the most repeated messages are from mothers asking John Paul II to help their children not only to find jobs but also keep them out of bad company. There are also many request from girls searching for “the man of her dreams.”

The book recounts the different petitions, stories and messages of thanks from people around the world to their friend, the Blessed John Paul II.

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