Late Pope John Paul II's personal secretary and close friend Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, left, looks at the pontiff during his weekly audience at the Vatican, in this Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004 file photo.

Vatican—Pope John Paul’s long-time private secretary says the late pontiff’s personal papers have been saved and not burned as he requested.

Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who was appointed Friday by Pope Benedict as Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, said none of the late pontiff’s papers will be burned because they should be kept for posterity.

Calling them “a great treasure,” he said the papers could possibly be used as part of John Paul’s beatification process - the last formal step before the late pontiff could be made a saint.

Archbishop Dziwisz was John Paul’s personal secretary throughout his papacy. The priest was at the pope’s side during his final hours, as well as during all other key events of John Paul’s papacy.