Certainty and uncertainty in the cognition of reality and the mystery of Redemption: On Karol Wojtyła’s poetic meditation „Redemption seeks your form to enter the disquiet of all people”

The article presents an interpretation of Karol Wojtyła’s 1978 poetic meditation “Redemption seeks your form to enter the disquiet of all people.” Linked to the encyclical “Redemptor hominis,” the work consists of four parts: “Veronica,” “Sister,” “Name,” and the title poem. The author analyzes the text on literal and spiritual levels (allegorical, moral, and anagogical), highlighting the theme of uncertainty and certainty in perceiving visible and supernatural reality. The invoked figure of Veronica becomes a witness to Christ’s Passion and a spiritual “sister” to the lyrical speaker. Through her merciful act of wiping the Condemned Man’s Face and her inner “gaze” fixed upon the truth, she becomes a custodian of the mystery of Redemption. The text is presented within the context of apocryphal tradition, St. Augustine’s theology, and works of art (F. Mochi, J. Mehoffer, H. Memling).