John Paul II’s interpretation of Psalm 51

Joanna Jaromin

Wrocław

Abstract

John Paul II devoted to Psalm 51 four of his catecheses referring to psalms and hymns from Liturgy of the Hours. The Holy Father indicated the main elements of the spirituality of the Psalm which should be manifested in the lives of the worshippers, especially the sense of sin. The Pope, following the biblical author, stressed the strong conviction about the possibility of conversion and God’s forgiveness that save the sinner and turns him into a new man. The profession of faith and the consciousness of one’s own imperfection arouse hope for purgation and God’s mercy.