(Vatican Radio) To mark eight years since the death of Blessed John Paul II on April
2nd 2005, we bring you Vatican Radio archive recordings of his words in English focusing
on prayer and priestly life, as well as the testimony of some of those who witnessed
this first-hand. Among them, the late Carmelite Father, Redemptus Valabek, former
postulator of the causes of the saints of his Order, who explains why many used to
describe John Paul II as being a Carmelite at heart. Also, Nigerian Cardinal, Francis
Arinze, head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious dialogue at the time of
the remarkable prayer gathering in Assisi. He points to how this Polish Pontiff's
call for all to pray was addressed not just to Christians but to non-Christians as
well. In this programme in which you can hear Blessed John Paul II reciting the
'Our Father', we also highlight how this Pope's 's prayer life was inseparable from
his priestly vocation. How he often told his friends: "I am first and foremost a priest",
reminding them how privileged he was to have this vocation because it allowed him
to preside at the Church's most important prayer of all: the Celebration of the Eucharist
. Listen to this programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick: