A Biography of Pope John Paul II
Karol Józef Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, a small city near Kracow, Poland. He was the second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941.
He made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Kracow's Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.
The Nazi occupation forces closed the University in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in a chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany.
In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Kracow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Kracow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyla was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also clandestine.
After the Second World War, he continued his studies in the major seminary of Cracow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University, until his priestly ordination in Cracow on November 1, 1946.
Soon after, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the topic of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland.
In 1948 he returned to Poland and was vicar of various parishes in Kracow as well as chaplain for the university students until 1951, when he took up again his studies on philosophy and theology. In 1953 he defended a thesis on "evaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler" at Lublin Catholic University. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Kracow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin.
On July 4, 1958, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Kracow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Kracow, by Archbishop Baziak.
On January 13, 1964, he was nominated as Archbishop of Kracow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal June 26, 1967.
Besides taking part in Vatican Council II with an important contribution to the elaboration of the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyla participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
On October 16, 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla was elected as the 264th Pope, and took the name of John Paul II.
Almost immediately, Pope John Paul II began traveling the World, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The words most often heard from his lips were the same as Our Lord’s: “Be not afraid.” His motto was Totus Tuus (Totally Yours).
Through his travels and preaching, Pope John Paul II is credited with bringing and end to Communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This heroic action nearly cost him his life, when at 5:19 p.m. a young turk named Mehmet Alì Agca made an attempt on the Pope's life while he was circling St. Peter's Square before his General Audience. Severely, wounded, the Pope was operated on for 6 hours at Gemelli hospital. A few years later, the Pope went to visit Ali Agca in prison, and forgave him for his actions.
During his Papacy, Pope John Paul II completed 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy. As Bishop of Rome he visited 317 of the 333 parishes.
His principal documents include 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions and 45 apostolic letters. The Pope has also published five books: "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" (October 1994); "Gift and Mystery: On the 50th Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination" (November 1996); "Roman Triptych - Meditations", a book of poems (March 2003); "Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way" (May 2004) and "Memory and Identity" (publication Spring 2005).
John Paul II presided at 147 beatification ceremonies (1,338 Blesseds proclaimed, including Mother Teresa of Calcutta) and 51 canonization ceremonies (482 Saints) during his pontificate, including: Padre Pio (a beloved friar); Gianna Beretta Molla (a simple Italian housewife, who sacrificed her life for her unborn child); Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (The founder of Opus Dei); Mother Katharine Drexel (A Philadelphia nun); Juan Diego Cuauhtlatohuac (who saw the vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe); Mary Faustina Kowalska (The Secretary of the Divine Mercy); Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein, a Jewish convert); and Maximilian Maria Kolbe (A priest who was prisoner of war in a Nazi concentration camp, who gave his life in place of a young father).
The Pope also held 9 consistories in which he created 231 (plus one in pectore) cardinals. He has also convened six plenary meetings of the College of Cardinals.
The Holy Father presided at 15 Synods of Bishops: six ordinary (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994, 2001), one extraordinary (1985) and eight special (1980, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 [2] and 1999).
No other Pope has encountered so many individuals like John Paul II. As Pope, more than 17,600,000 pilgrims participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1,160). Such figure is without counting all other special audiences and religious ceremonies held (more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone) and the millions of faithful met during pastoral visits made in Italy and throughout the world. It must also be remembered the numerous government personalities encountered during 38 official visits and in the 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and even the 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.
Pope John Paul II gave many spiritual gifts to the Church including: The Universal Catechism of the Catholic Church, Divine Mercy Sunday, The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary; World Youth Day, The Year of the Rosary; and The Year of the Eucharist.
Pope John Paul II spent his entire life spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the World. He touched billions of people with his love, especially the young. He never slowed down, in spite of his failing health. As the end of his life approached, he showed us the redemptive value of suffering, and how every life is precious from the moment of conception, until the moment of natural death.
On April 2, 2005, at 9:37 p.m. Rome time, the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope John Paul II was called home to the Lord. He crossed the threshold of hope into everlasting life with Jesus Christ. His pontificate, which he had consecrated to the loving protection of Mary, Our Blessed Mother, had spanned 26 years, 5 months, and 17 days.