Pope John Paul II

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Pope John Paul II

ContentsArticlesOverview 1

Pope John Paul II 1

Biography 41Biography 41Early life 52Family home 55

Papacy 57October 1978 Conclave 57Teachings 61Relations with Eastern Orthodox Church 64Pope John Paul II and Judaism 66Assassination attempt 70Pastoral trips 77List of visits 851982 visit to Britain 921983 visit to Nicaragua 94Apologies 95Social and political stances 96Papal mediation in the Beagle conflict 99Criticism of John Paul II 108Health 112

Death and legacy 114Funeral 114List of dignitaries 1252005 Conclave 140Canonisation 145Places named after him 152Pope John Paul II Cultural Center 162Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula 164John Paul II Collection Museum 165

Encyclicals 166List of Encyclicals 166The Redeemer of Man 167Rich in Mercy 170On Human Work 172The Apostles of the Slavs 172The Lord and Giver of Life 173Mother of the Redeemer 173On Social Concerns 174Mission of the Redeemer 175The Hundredth Year 176The Splendor of Truth 183The Gospel of Life 185That They May Be One 188Faith and Reason 189Church of the Eucharist 191

Bibliography 193Bibliography of Pope John Paul II 193Memory and Identity 196Roman Triptych 197Crossing the Threshold of Hope 198Love and Responsibility 201The Theology of the Body 203

Books and films about John Paul II 209Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II 209Pope John Paul II: The Movie 210Karol: A Man Who Became Pope 211Karol: The Pope, The Man 212Pope John Paul II 213The Papal Chase 216

Cultural references 218Cultural references to Pope John Paul II 218

ReferencesArticle Sources and Contributors 222

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 226

Article LicensesLicense 231

1Overview

Pope John Paul II

John Paul II

John Paul II in 1993

Papacy began 16 October 1978

Papacy ended 2 April 2005(26years, 168days)

Predecessor John Paul I

Successor Benedict XVI

Orders

Ordination 1 November 1946byAdam Stefan Sapieha

Consecration 28 September 1958byEugeniusz Baziak

Created Cardinal 26 June 1967

Personal details

Birth name Karol Jzef Wojtya

Born 18 May 1920Wadowice, Poland

Died 2 April 2005 (aged84)Apostolic Palace, Vatican City

Nationality Polish

Previous post Auxiliary Bishop of Krakw, Poland (19581964) Titular Bishop of Ombi (19581964) Archbishop of Krakw, Poland (19641978) Cardinal-Priest of San Cesareo in Palatio (19671978)

Pope John Paul II 2

Motto Totus tuus

Signature

Coat of arms

Sainthood

Feast day 22 October

Beatified 1 May 2011Saint Peter's Square, Vatican CitybyPope Benedict XVI

Patronage World Youth Day (Co- Patron)

Other Popes named John Paul

Blessed Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Pawe II), bornKarol Jzef Wojtya (Polish:[karl juzf vjtwa]; 18May1920 2April2005), reigned as Pope of the CatholicChurch and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16October1978 until his death on 2April2005, at 84years and319days of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted 26years and 168days; only PopePiusIX (18461878) who served 31 years, has reigned longer. Pope John Paul II is the only Slavic or Polish pope todate and was the first non-Italian Pope since Dutch Pope AdrianVI (15221523).John Paul II has been acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. It is widely held that hewas instrumental in ending communism in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. Conversely, he denouncedthe excesses of capitalism. John Paul II is widely said to have significantly improved the Catholic Church's relationswith Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. Though criticised by progressivesfor upholding the Church's teachings against artificial contraception and the ordination of women, he was alsocriticised by traditionalists for his support of the Church's Second Vatican Council and its reform of the Liturgy aswell as his ecumenical efforts.He was one of the most-travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129countries during his pontificate. He spokeItalian, French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Croatian, and Latin as well as his native Polish. Aspart of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340people and canonised 483saints,more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the last five centuries. On 19December2009, John PaulIIwas proclaimed venerable by his successor Pope BenedictXVI and was beatified on 1May2011.

Pope John Paul II 3

Biography

Early life

Emilia and Karol Wojtyla Sr. weddingportrait

Family home of the Wojtyas in Wadowice

Courtyard within the family home

Karol Jzef Wojtya (Anglicised: Charles Joseph Wojtyla) was born inthe Polish town of Wadowice[1] [2] [3] and was the youngest of threechildren of Karol Wojtya, an ethnic Pole,[4] and Emilia Kaczorowska,who is described as being of Lithuanian[4] or Ukrainian ancestry.[5] [6]

His mother died on 13 April 1929,[7] when he was eight years old.[8]

Karol's elder sister, Olga, had died in infancy before his birth; thus, hegrew close to his brother Edmund, who was 14 years his senior, andwhom he nicknamed Mundek. However, Edmund's work as a physicianled to his death from scarlet fever, profoundly affecting Karol.[4] [8]

As a youth, Wojtya was an athlete and often played football as agoalkeeper.[9] [10] His formative years were influenced by numerouscontacts with the vibrant and prospering Jewish community ofWadowice. School football games were often organised between teamsof Jews and Catholics, and Wojtya would voluntarily offer himself asa substitute goalkeeper on the Jewish side if they were short ofplayers.[4] [9]

In mid-1938, Karol Wojtya and his father left Wadowice and movedto Krakw, where he enrolled at the Jagiellonian University. Whilestudying such topics as philology and various languages at theUniversity, he worked as a volunteer librarian and was required toparticipate in compulsory military training in the Academic Legion,but he refused to fire a weapon. He performed with various theatricalgroups and worked as a playwright.[11] During this time, his talent forlanguage blossomed and he learned as many as 12 foreign languages,nine of which he later used extensively as Pope.[2]

In 1939, Nazi German occupation forces closed the JagiellonianUniversity after the invasion of Poland.[2] All able-bodied males wererequired to work, and, from 1940 to 1944, Wojtya variously worked asa messenger for a restaurant, a manual labourer in a limestone quarryand for the Solvay chemical factory to avoid being deported toGermany.[3] [11] His father, a non-commissioned officer in the PolishArmy, died of a heart attack in 1941, leaving Karol the sole survivingmember of his immediate family.[4] [7] [12] "I was not at my mother'sdeath, I was not at my brother's death, I was not at my father's death,"he said, reflecting on these times of his life, nearly forty years later, "Attwenty, I had already lost all the people I loved."[12]

He later stated that he began thinking seriously about the priesthoodafter his father's death, and that his vocation gradually became aninner fact of unquestionable and absolute clarity.[13] In October 1942,increasingly aware of his calling to the priesthood, he knocked on the

Pope John Paul II 4

door of the Archbishop's Palace in Krakw, and declared that he wanted to study for the priesthood.[13] Soon after,he began courses in the clandestine underground seminary run by the Archbishop of Krakw, Adam Stefan CardinalSapieha.On 29 February 1944, Wojtya was knocked down by a German truck. German Wehrmacht officers then tended tohim and sent him to a hospital. He spent two weeks there recovering from a severe concussion and a shoulder injury.This accident and his survival seemed to Wojtya a confirmation of his priestly vocation. On 6August1944, BlackSunday,[14] the Gestapo rounded up young men in Krakw to avoid an uprising similar[14] to the previous uprisingin Warsaw.[15] [16] Wojtya escaped by hiding in the basement of his uncle's home at 10 Tyniecka Street, whileGerman troops searched upstairs.[13] [15] [16] More than eight thousand men and boys were taken into custody thatday, but he escaped to the Archbishop's Palace,[13] [14] [15] where he remained in hiding until after the Germansleft.[4] [13] [17]

On the night of 17January1945, the Germans fled the city, and the students reclaimed the ruined seminary. Wojtyaand another seminarian volunteered for the unenviable task of clearing away piles of frozen excrement from thelavatories.[18] That month, Wojtya personally aided a 14-year-old Jewish refugee girl named Edith Zierer[19] whohad run away from a Nazi labour camp in Czstochowa.[19] After her collapse on a railway platform, Wojtya carriedher to a train and accompanied her safely to Krakw. Zierer credits Wojtya with saving her life that day.[20] [21] [22]

B'nai B'rith and other authorities have said that Wojtyla helped protect many other Polish Jews from the Nazis.

Priesthood

Karol Wojtya as a priest in Niegowi, Poland,1948

On completion of his studies at the seminary in Krakw, Karol Wojtyawas ordained as a priest on All Saints' Day, 1 November 1946,[7] bythe Archbishop of Krakw, Cardinal Sapieha.[3] [23] [24] He was thensent to study theology in Rome, at the Pontifical InternationalAthenaeum Angelicum,[23] [24] where he earned a licentiate and later adoctorate in sacred theology.[2] This doctorate, the first of two, wasbased on the Latin dissertation The Doctrine of Faith According toSaint John of the Cross.

He returned to Poland in the summer of 1948 with his first pastoralassignment in the village of Niegowi, fifteen miles from Krakw.Arriving at Niegowi during harvest time, his first action was to kneeldown and kiss the ground.[25] This gesture, adapted from French saint Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney,[25] wouldbecome one of his trademarks during his Papacy.

Pope John Paul II 5

Pontifical International AthenaeumAngelicum in Rome

In March 1949, Wojtya was transferred to the parish of Saint Florian in Krakw.He taught ethics at the Jagiellonian University and subsequently at the CatholicUniversity of Lublin. While teaching, he gathered a group of about 20youngpeople, who began to call themselves Rodzinka, the "little family". They met forprayer, philosophical discussion, and helping the blind and sick. The groupeventually grew to approximately 200participants, and their activities expandedto include annual skiing and kayaking trips.[26]

In 1954, he earned a second doctorate, in philosophy,[27] evaluating thefeasibility of a Catholic ethic based on the ethical system of phenomenologistMax Scheler. However, the Communist authorities' intervention prevented hisreceiving the degree until 1957.[24]

During this period, Wojtya wrote a series of articles in Krakw's Catholicnewspaper Tygodnik Powszechny ("Universal Weekly") dealing withcontemporary church issues.[28] He focused on creating original literary work

during his first dozen years as a priest. War, life under Communism, and his pastoral responsibilities all fed hispoetry and plays. However, he published his work under two pseudonyms Andrzej Jawie and Stanisaw AndrzejGruda[11] [28] [29] to distinguish his literary from his religious writings (which were published under his own name)and also so that his literary works would be considered on their own merits.[11] [28] [29] In 1960, Wojtya publishedthe influential theological book Love and Responsibility, a defence of the traditional Church teachings on marriagefrom a new philosophical standpoint.[11] [30]

Bishop and cardinal

Visit to the Church of the Visitation of theBlessed Virgin Mary in Cracow. Carmelite on the

Sand early June 1967, shortly before beingappointed cardinal

On 4 July 1958,[24] while Wojtya was on a kayaking vacation in thelakes region of northern Poland, Pope Pius XII appointed him to theposition of auxiliary bishop of Krakw. He was then summoned toWarsaw to meet the Primate of Poland, Stefan Cardinal Wyszyski,who informed him of the appointment.[31] [32] He agreed to serve as anAuxiliary Bishop to Krakow's Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak, and hewas ordained to the Episcopate (as Titular Bishop of Ombi) on 28September 1958. Archbishop Baziak was the principal consecrator.Then-Auxiliary Bishop Boleslaw Kominek (Titular Bishop of Sopheneand Vaga; of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wroclaw and futureCardinal Archbishop of Wroclaw) and then-Auxiliary BishopFranciszek Jop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sandomierz (TitularBishop of Daulia; later Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese ofWroclaw and then Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Opole)were the principal co-consecrators.[24] At the age of 38, he became theyoungest bishop in Poland. Baziak died in June 1962 and on 16 July,Karol Wojtya was selected as Vicar Capitular, or temporaryadministrator, of the Archdiocese until an Archbishop could be appointed.[2] [3]

Beginning in October 1962, Bishop Wojtya took part in the Second Vatican Council (19621965),[1] [2] [3] [24]

where he made contributions to two of the most historic and influential products of the council, the Decree onReligious Freedom (in Latin, Dignitatis Humanae) and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the ModernWorld (Gaudium et Spes).[24]

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Bishop Wojtya participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.[2] [3] On 13 January 1964, Pope Paul VIappointed him Archbishop of Krakw.[33] On 26 June 1967, Paul VI announced Archbishop Wojtya's promotion tothe Sacred College of Cardinals.[1] [24] [33] He was named Cardinal-Priest of the titulus of San Cesareo in Palatio.[34]

In 1967, he was instrumental in formulating the encyclical Humanae Vitae, which deals with the same issues thatforbid abortion and artificial birth control.[1] [24] [35] [36] According to a contemporary witness, Cardinal Wojtyla in1970 was against the distribution and reading in the Krakw diocese a pastoral letter that the Polish Episcopate waspreparing for the 50th anniversary of the Polish-Soviet War.[37]

Election to the Papacy

The newly elected Pope John Paul II stands onthe balcony

Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II with theMarian Cross. The Letter M is for Mary, the

mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion

Papal styles ofPope John Paul II

Reference style His Holiness

Spoken style Your Holiness

Religious style Holy Father

Posthumous style Blessed

In August 1978, following the death of Pope Paul VI, Cardinal Wojtya voted in the Papal conclave that elected PopeJohn Paul I, who at 65 was considered young by papal standards. John Paul I died after only 33 days as Pope,thereby precipitating another conclave.[3] [24] [38]

The second conclave of 1978 commenced on 14 October, ten days after the funeral of Pope John Paul I. It wasdivided between two strong candidates for the papacy: Giuseppe Cardinal Siri, the conservative Archbishop ofGenoa, and the liberal Archbishop of Florence, Giovanni Cardinal Benelli, a close associate of John Paul I.[39]

Supporters of Benelli were confident that he would be elected, and in early ballots, Benelli came within nine votes of election.[39] However, the scale of opposition to both men meant that neither was likely to receive the votes needed

Pope John Paul II 7

for election, and Franz Cardinal Knig, Archbishop of Vienna, individually suggested to his fellow electors acompromise candidate: the Polish Cardinal, Karol Jzef Wojtya.[39] Wojtya ultimately won the election on theeighth ballot on the second day with, according to the Italian press, 99 votes from the 111 participating electors. Hesubsequently chose the name John Paul II[24] [39] in honour of his immediate predecessor, and the traditional whitesmoke informed the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square that a pope had been chosen.[38] He accepted his electionwith these words: With obedience in faith to Christ, my Lord, and with trust in the Mother of Christ and the Church,in spite of great difficulties, I accept.[40] [41] When the new pontiff appeared on the balcony, he broke tradition byaddressing the gathered crowd:[40]

Dear brothers and sisters, we are saddened at the death of our beloved Pope John Paul I, and so the cardinals have called for a new bishop ofRome. They called him from a faraway land far and yet always close because of our communion in faith and Christian traditions. I wasafraid to accept that responsibility, yet I do so in a spirit of obedience to the Lord and total faithfulness to Mary, our most Holy Mother. I amspeaking to you in your no, our Italian language. If I make a mistake, please kirrect [sic] me...[40] [42]

Wojtya became the 264th Pope according to the chronological list of popes and the first non-Italian Pope in 455years.[43] At only 58 years of age, he was the youngest pope elected since Pope Pius IX in 1846, who was 54.[24]

Like his immediate predecessor, Pope John Paul II dispensed with the traditional Papal coronation and insteadreceived ecclesiastical investiture with the simplified Papal inauguration on 22 October 1978. During hisinauguration, when the cardinals were to kneel before him to take their vows and kiss his ring, he stood up as thePolish prelate Stefan Cardinal Wyszyski knelt down, stopped him from kissing the ring, and hugged him.[44]

Life's work

Teachings

The future starts today, not tomorrow.Pope John Paul II[45]

Pope John Paul II inSaint Peter's Square (1985)

As pope, one of John Paul II's most important roles was to teach peopleabout Christianity. He wrote 14 papal encyclicals and taught about"The Theology of the Body".

In his At the beginning of the third millennium (Novo MillennioIneunte), he emphasised the importance of "starting afresh fromChrist": "No, we shall not be saved by a formula but by a Person."

In The Splendour of the Truth (Veritatis Splendor), he emphasised thedependence of man on God and His Law ("Without the Creator, thecreature disappears") and the "dependence of freedom on the truth". He

warned that man "giving himself over to relativism and skepticism, goes off in search of an illusory freedom apartfrom truth itself".

In Fides et Ratio (On the Relationship between Faith and Reason) John Paul promoted a renewed interest inphilosophy and an autonomous pursuit for truth in theological matters. Drawing on many different sources (such asThomism), he described the mutually supporting relationship between faith and reason, and emphasised thattheologians should focus on that relationship.John Paul II wrote extensively about workers and the social doctrine of the Church, which he discussed in threeencyclicals. Through his encyclicals and many Apostolic Letters and Exhortations, John Paul talked about thedignity of women and the importance of the family for the future of humanity.[35]

Pope John Paul II 8

Other encyclicals include The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) and Ut Unum Sint (That They May Be One).Despite critics who accused him of inflexibility, he explicitly re-asserted Catholic moral teachings against murder,euthanasia and abortion that have been in place for well over a thousand years.[35]

As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.Pope John Paul II[45]

Pastoral trips

Pope John Paul II's visit to the Polish Parliamenton 11 June 1999

US President George W. Bush and Laura Bushvisit Pope John PaulII at Castel Gandolfo on 23

July 2001

During his pontificate, Pope John Paul II made trips to 129countries,[46] and logged more than 1.1million km (725,000 miles). Heconsistently attracted large crowds on his travels, some amongst thelargest ever assembled in human history like the Manila World YouthDay, which gathered around 5 million people.[47] Some have suggestedthat it may have been the largest Christian gathering ever, although thisis not certain.[48]

John Paul II's earliest official visits were to the Dominican Republicand Mexico in January 1979 and to Poland in June 1979,[49] whereecstatic crowds constantly surrounded him.[50] This first trip to Polanduplifted the whole nation's spirit and sparked the formation of theSolidarity movement in 1980, which brought freedom and humanrights to his troubled country.[35] On later trips to Poland, he gave tacitsupport to the organization.[35] Successive trips reinforced this messageand Poland began the process that would finally defeat the dominationof communist regimes under the lead of the Soviet Union in CentralEurope between 1989 (reintroduction of democracy in Poland) and1990, Eastern Europe (19901991) and South-Eastern Europe(19901992).[42] [46] [50] [51] [52] [53]

While some of his trips (such as to the United States and the HolyLand) were to places previously visited by Pope Paul VI, John Paul IIbecame the first pope to visit the White House during his October 1979U.S. trip, where he was greeted warmly by then-President JimmyCarter. He travelled to countries that no pope had ever visited before. He was the first pope to visit Mexico inJanuary 1979,[54] before his initial trip to Poland as Pope, as well as to Ireland later that year.[55] [56] He was the firstreigning pope to travel to the United Kingdom, in 1982,[57] where he met Queen ElizabethII, the Supreme Governorof the Church of England.[57] He travelled to Haiti in 1983, where he spoke in Creole to thousands of impoverishedCatholics gathered to greet him at the airport. His message, "things must change in Haiti", referring to the disparitybetween the wealthy and the poor, was met with thunderous applause.[58] In 2000, he was the first modern pope tovisit Egypt,[59] where he met with the Coptic pope, Pope ShenoudaIII[59] and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch ofAlexandria.[59] [60] He was the first Catholic pope to visit and pray in an Islamic mosque, in Damascus, Syria, in2001. He visited the Umayyad Mosque, a former Christian church where John the Baptist is believed to beinterred,[61] where he made a speech calling for Muslims, Christians and Jews to work together.[61] [62]

On 15 January 1995, during the X World Youth Day, he offered Mass to an estimated crowd of between five and seven million in Luneta Park,[47] Manila, Philippines, which was considered to be the largest single gathering in Christian history.[47] In March 2000, while visiting Jerusalem, John Paul became the first pope in history to visit and

Pope John Paul II 9

pray at the Western Wall.[63] [64] In September 2001, amidst post-11 September concerns, he travelled toKazakhstan, with an audience largely consisting of Muslims, and to Armenia, to participate in the celebration of the1,700years of Christianity in that nation.[65]

Today, for the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil. This fair land, once a distant outpost of the pagan world, hasbecome, through the preaching of the Gospel, a beloved and gifted portion of Christ's vineyard. Pope John Paul II (1982)[45]

Pope John Paul IIs World Travels:[49] [66]

19791. January 25February 1Dominican Republic and Mexico

2. June 210Poland

3. September 29October 7Ireland and United States

4. November 2830Turkey

19805. May 212Zaire, Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ghana, Republic of Upper Volta and Ivory Coast

6. May 30June 2France

7. June 30July 12Brazil

8. November 1519West Germany

19819. February 1627Philippines, Guam, and Japan

198210. February 1219Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea

11. May 1215Portugal (including Ftima)12. May 28June 2Great Britain

13. June 1013Argentina

14. June 15

Switzerland

15. August 29

San Marino

16. October 31November 9Spain

1983

Pope John Paul II 10

17. March 210Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Haiti

18. June 1623Poland

19. August 1415Lourdes in France

20. September 1013Austria

198421. May 212South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Thailand

22. June 1217Switzerland

23. September 920Canada

24. October 1012Spain, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

198525. January 26February 6Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago

26. May 1121Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

27. August 819Togo, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire, Kenya, Morocco

28. September 8

Liechtenstein

198629. February 1February 10India

30. July 18Colombia, St. Lucia

31. October 47France

32. November 19December 1Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Fiji, Singapore, Seychelles

198733. March 31April 13Uruguay, Chile, Argentina

34. April 30May 4West Germany

35. June 814Poland

36. September 1020United States and Canada

1988


37. May 718Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay

38. June 2327Austria

39. September 1019Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, detour through South Africa

40. October 811France

198941. April 28May 6Madagascar, Runion, Zambia, and Malawi

42. June 110Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden

43. August 1921Spain

44. October 616South Korea, Indonesia, East Timor, Mauritius

199045. January 25February 1Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad

46. April 2122Czechoslovakia

47. May 613Mexico, Curaao

48. May 2527Malta

49. September 110Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ivory Coast

199150. May 1013Portugal

51. June 19Poland

52. August 1320Poland, Hungary

53. October 1221Brazil

199254. February 1926Senegal, Gambia, Guinea

55. June 410Angola, So Tom and Prncipe

56. October 914Dominican Republic

1993


57. February 310Benin, Uganda, Sudan

58. April 25

Albania

59. June 1217Spain

60. August 916Jamaica, Mexico, United States

61. September 410Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia

199462. September 1011Croatia

199563. January 1221Philippines, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka

64. May 2022Czech Republic, Poland

65. June 34Belgium

66. June 30

Slovakia

67. September 1420Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa

68. October 48United States

199669. February 512Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela

70. April 14

Tunisia

71. May 1719Slovenia

72. June 2123Germany

73. September 67Hungary

74. September 1922France

199775. April 1213 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 76. April 2527 Czech Republic 77. May 1011 Lebanon


78. May 31June 10 Poland 79. August 2124 France 80. October 25 Brazil

199881. January 2125Cuba

82. March 2123Nigeria

83. June 1921Austria

84. October 24Croatia

199985. January 2225Mexico City in Mexico

January 2627St. Louis, Missouri

86. May 79Romania

87. June 517Poland

88. September 19

Slovenia

89. November 59New Delhi, India, and Tbilisi in Georgia

200090. Feb. 2426Egypt

91. March 2026Jordan, Israel and Palestinian Autonomous Territories

92. May 1213Ftima in Portugal

200193.(a) May 45Athens in Greece

93.(b) May 56Syria

93.(c) May 89Malta

94. June 2327Ukraine

95. September 2227Armenia and Kazakhstan


200296. May 2226Azerbaijan and Bulgaria

97. July 23August 1Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico

98. August 1619Poland

200399. May 34Spain

100. June 59Croatia

101. June 22

Bosnia and Herzegovina

102.September 11-14

Slovakia

2004103. June 5-6

Switzerland

104. August 14-15

Lourdes in France

Map indicating countries Pope John Paul II visited.


Youth

World Youth Day is a popular Catholic faiththemed international youth event initiated by

Pope John Paul II

John PaulII had a special relationship with Catholic youth and isknown by some as The Pope for Youth.[67] [68] Before he was pontiff,he used to camp and mountain hike with the youth. He still wentmountain hiking when he was pope.[67] He was concerned with theeducation of future priests and made many early visits to Romanseminaries, including to the Venerable English College in 1979.[3] Heestablished World Youth Day in 1984 with the intention of bringingyoung Catholics from all parts of the world together to celebrate thefaith.[3] [67] [68] These weeklong meetings of youth occur every two orthree years, attracting hundreds of thousands of young people, who gothere to sing, party, have a good time and deepen their faith.[3] [68] The19 World Youth Days celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over theworld. During this time, his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiatedin 1994.[3]

Young people are threatened... by the evil use of advertising techniques that stimulate the natural inclination to avoid hard work bypromising the immediate satisfaction of every desire. Pope John Paul II[45]

Relations with other religious groups

Monument to Pope John Paul II in Rome

Pope John Paul II travelled extensively and met with believers frommany divergent faiths. He constantly attempted to find commonground, both doctrinal and dogmatic. At the World Day of Prayer forPeace, held in Assisi on 27 October 1986, more than 120representatives of different religions and Christian denominations spenta day together with fasting and praying.[69]

Anglicanism

Pope John PaulII had good relations with the Church of England,referred to by his predecessor Pope Paul VI, as "our beloved Sister

Church".[70] He preached in Canterbury Cathedral during his visit to Great Britain,[57] and received the Archbishopof Canterbury with friendship and courtesy.[57] However, John PaulII was disappointed by the Church of England'sdecision to offer the Sacrament of Holy Orders to women and saw it as a step in the opposite direction from unitybetween the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.[70]

In 1980 John Paul II issued a Pastoral Provision allowing married former Episcopal priests to become Catholicpriests, and for the acceptance of former Episcopal Church parishes into the Catholic Church. He allowed thecreation of the Anglican Use form of the Latin Rite, which incorporates the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. JohnPaul II's historic ecumenical effort with the Anglican Communion was realised with the establishment of Our Ladyof the Atonement Catholic Church (Anglican Use), in cooperation with Archbishop Patrick Flores of San Antonio,TX, in the United States.[71]


Lutheranism

On 1519 November 1980 John Paul II visited the Federal Republic of Germany[72] on his first trip to a country witha large Lutheran population. In Mainz he met with leaders of the Lutheran and other Protestant Churches, and withrepresentatives of other Christian denominations.11 December 1983 John Paul II participated in an ecumenical service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church inRome,[73] the first papal visit ever to a Lutheran church. The visit took place 550 years after the birth of MartinLuther, the German Augustinian monk who initiated the Lutheran reformation.In his apostolic pilgrimage to Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Sweden 110 June 1989,[74] John Paul IIbecame the first pope to visit countries with Lutheran majorities. In addition to celebrating Mass with Catholicbelievers, he participated in ecumenical services at places that had been Catholic shrines before the Lutheranreformation in the 16th century: Nidaros Cathedral in Norway; near St. Olav's Church at Thingvellir in Iceland;Turku Cathedral in Finland; Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark; and Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden.On 31 October 1999 (the 482nd anniversary of Reformation Day, Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses),representatives of the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) signed a Joint Declaration on the Doctrineof Justification, as a gesture of unity. The signing was a fruit of the theological dialogue that has been going onbetween the LWF and the Vatican since 1965 [75].

Judaism

The Western Wall in Jerusalem

Relations between Catholicism and Judaism improved during thepontificate of John Paul II.[35] [64] He spoke frequently about theChurch's relationship with Jews.[35]

As a child, Karol Wojtya had played sports with his many Jewishneighbours.[9] [76] In 1979, he became the first Pope to visit theGerman Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, where many of hiscompatriots (mostly Polish Jews) had perished during the Nazioccupation in World War II. In 1998 he issued "We Remember: AReflection on the Shoah" which outlined his thinking on theHolocaust.[77] He became the first pope known to have made anofficial papal visit to a synagogue,[78] when he visited the GreatSynagogue of Rome on 13 April 1986.[79] [80] [81]

In 1994, John PaulII established formal diplomatic relations betweenthe Holy See and the State of Israel, acknowledging its centrality inJewish life and faith.[79] [82] In honour of this event, Pope John Paul IIhosted The Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust. Thisconcert, which was conceived and conducted by American Maestro Gilbert Levine, was attended by the Chief Rabbiof Rome, the President of Italy, and survivors of the Holocaust from around the world.[83] [84]

In March 2000, John PaulII visited Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial in Israel, and later made historyby touching one of the holiest sites in Judaism, the Western Wall in Jerusalem,[64] placing a letter inside it (in whichhe prayed for forgiveness for the actions against Jews).[63] [64] [79] [85] In part of his address he said: "I assure theJewish people the Catholic Church ... is deeply saddened by the hatred, acts of persecution and displays ofanti-Semitism directed against the Jews by Christians at any time and in any place", he added that there were "nowords strong enough to deplore the terrible tragedy of the Holocaust".[63] [64] Israeli cabinet minister Rabbi MichaelMelchior, who hosted the Pope's visit, said he was "very moved" by the Pope's gesture.[63] [64]


It was beyond history, beyond memory. Rabbi Michael Melchior (26 March 2000)[63]

We are deeply saddened by the behaviour of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking yourforgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant. Pope John Paul II (12 March 2000) from a note left by the Pope at the Western Wall in Jerusalem[85] [86]

In October 2003, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a statement congratulating John Paul II on entering the25th year of his papacy.[82] In January 2005, John Paul II became the first Pope in history known to receive a priestlyblessing from a rabbi, when Rabbis Benjamin Blech, Barry Dov Schwartz, and Jack Bemporad visited the Pontiff atClementine Hall in the Apostolic Palace.[87]

Immediately after the pope's death, the ADL issued a statement that Pope John Paul II had revolutionisedCatholic-Jewish relations, saying that "more change for the better took place in his 27 year Papacy than in thenearly 2,000 years before."[88] In another statement issued by the Australia, Israel & Jewish Affairs Council,Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, "The Pope will be remembered for his inspiring spiritual leadership in the causeof freedom and humanity. He achieved far more in terms of transforming relations with both the Jewish people andthe State of Israel than any other figure in the history of the Catholic Church".[79]

With Judaism, therefore, we have a relationship which we do not have with any other religion. You are our dearly beloved brothers, and in acertain way, it could be said that you are our elder brothers. Pope John Paul II (13 April 1986)[45]

Eastern Orthodox Church

In May 1999, John Paul II visited Romania on the invitation from Patriarch Teoctist Arpau of the RomanianOrthodox Church. This was the first time a Pope had visited a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country since theGreat Schism in 1054.[89] On his arrival, the Patriarch and the President of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, greetedthe Pope.[89] The Patriarch stated, "The second millennium of Christian history began with a painful wounding of theunity of the Church; the end of this millennium has seen a real commitment to restoring Christian unity."[89]

John PaulII visited another heavily Orthodox area, Ukraine on 2327 June 2001 at the invitation of the President ofUkraine and bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.[90] The Pope spoke to leaders of the All-UkrainianCouncil of Churches and Religious Organisations, pleading for "open, tolerant and honest dialogue".[90] About 200thousand people attended the liturgies celebrated by the Pope in Kiev, and the liturgy in Lviv gathered nearly oneand a half million faithful.[90] John PaulII stated that an end to the Great Schism was one of his fondest wishes.[90]

Healing divisions between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches regarding Latin and Byzantine traditions wasclearly of great personal interest. For many years, John Paul II sought to facilitate dialogue and unity stating as earlyas 1988 in Euntes in mundum that "Europe has two lungs, it will never breathe easily until it uses both of them".During his 2001 travels, John PaulII became the first Pope to visit Greece in 1291 years.[91] [92] In Athens, the Popemet with Archbishop Christodoulos, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church.[91] After a private 30 minute meeting,the two spoke publicly. Christodoulos read a list of "13 offences" of the Roman Catholic Church against the EasternOrthodox Church since the Great Schism,[91] including the pillaging of Constantinople by crusaders in 1204, andbemoaned the lack of apology from the Roman Catholic Church, saying "Until now, there has not been heard asingle request for pardon" for the "maniacal crusaders of the 13th century."[91]


The Pope responded by saying "For the occasions past and present, when sons and daughters of the CatholicChurch have sinned by action or omission against their Orthodox brothers and sisters, may the Lord grant usforgiveness," to which Christodoulos immediately applauded. John PaulII said that the sacking of Constantinoplewas a source of "profound regret" for Catholics.[91] Later John Paul and Christodoulos met on a spot where SaintPaul had once preached to Athenian Christians. They issued a common declaration, saying "We shall do everythingin our power, so that the Christian roots of Europe and its Christian soul may be preserved. We condemn allrecourse to violence, proselytism and fanaticism, in the name of religion".[91] The two leaders then said the Lord'sPrayer together, breaking an Orthodox taboo against praying with Catholics.[91]

The Pope had said throughout his pontificate that one of his greatest dreams was to visit Russia, but this neveroccurred. He attempted to solve the problems that had arisen over centuries between the Catholic and RussianOrthodox churches, such as giving back the icon of Our Lady of Kazan in August 2004.

The Dalai Lama met with Pope JohnPaul II eight times.

Buddhism

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama visited Pope John PaulII eight times, morethan any other single dignitary. The Pope and the Dalai Lama often sharedsimilar views and understood similar plights, both coming from peoplesaffected by communism and both being heads of major religious bodies.[93] [94]

Islam

Pope John PaulII made considerable efforts to improve relations betweenCatholicism and Islam.[95]

On 6May2001, Pope John PaulII became the first Catholic pope to enter andpray in a mosque. Respectfully removing his shoes, he entered the UmayyadMosque, a former Byzantine era Christian church dedicated to John the Baptist

(who is believed to be interred there) in Damascus, Syria, and gave a speech including the statement: "For all thetimes that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and tooffer each other forgiveness."[61] [62] He kissed the Quran in Syria,[96] [97] [98] an act which made him popularamongst Muslims but which disturbed many Catholics.[97]

In 2004, Pope John PaulII hosted the "Papal Concert of Reconciliation," which brought together leaders of Islamwith leaders of the Jewish community and of the Catholic Church at the Vatican for a concert by the KrakwPhilharmonic Choir from Poland, the London Philharmonic Choir from the United Kingdom, the PittsburghSymphony Orchestra from the United States, and the Ankara State Polyphonic Choir of Turkey.[99] [100] [101] [102]

The event was conceived and conducted by Sir Gilbert Levine, KCSG and was broadcast throughout the world.[99][100] [101] [102]

John PaulII oversaw the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which makes a special provision forMuslims; therein, it is written, "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the firstplace amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adorethe one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."[103]


Role in the fall of Communism

Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting PopeJohn Paul II

John PaulII has been credited with being instrumental in bringingdown communism in Central and Eastern Europe,[35] [42] [46] [51] [52][53] [104] by being the spiritual inspiration behind its downfall, and acatalyst for "a peaceful revolution" in Poland. Lech Wasa, thefounder of Solidarity, credited John PaulII with giving Poles thecourage to rise up.[35] According to Wasa, "Before his pontificate, theworld was divided into blocs. Nobody knew how to get rid ofcommunism. In Warsaw, in 1979, he simply said: 'Do not be afraid',and later prayed: 'Let your Spirit descend and change the image of theland... this land'."[104] [105]

President Ronald Reagan's correspondence with the pope reveals "a continuous scurrying to shore up Vaticansupport for U.S. policies. Perhaps most surprisingly, the papers show that, as late as 1984, the pope did not believethe Communist Polish government could be changed."[106]

In December 1989, John Paul II met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Vatican and each expressed hisrespect and admiration for the other. Gorbachev once said The collapse of the Iron Curtain would have beenimpossible without John Paul II.[42] [51] On John Paul's passing, Mikhail Gorbachev said: "Pope John Paul II'sdevotion to his followers is a remarkable example to all of us."[53] [104] [107]

US President George W. Bush presents the Medalof Freedom to Pope John Paul II, in June 2004

In February 2004, Pope John Paul II was nominated for a Nobel PeacePrize honouring his life's work in opposing Communist oppression andhelping to reshape the world.[108]

President George W. Bush presented the Presidential Medal ofFreedom, America's highest civilian honour, to Pope John Paul IIduring a ceremony at the Vatican 4 June 2004. The president read thecitation that accompanied the medal, which recognised "this son ofPoland" whose "principled stand for peace and freedom has inspiredmillions and helped to topple communism and tyranny." Afterreceiving the award, John Paul II said, "May the desire for freedom,

peace, a more humane world symbolised by this medal inspire men and women of goodwill in every time andplace."[109]

Warsaw, Moscow, Budapest, Berlin, Prague, Sofia and Bucharest have become stages in a long pilgrimage toward liberty. It is admirablethat in these events, entire peoples spoke out women, young people, men, overcoming fears, their irrepressible thirst for liberty speeded updevelopments, made walls tumble down and opened gates.

Pope John Paul II (1989)[52]

Assassination attemptsAs he entered St. Peter's Square to address an audience on 13 May 1981, John Paul II was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Aca,[2] [46] [110] a trained expert Turkish gunman who was a member of the militant fascist group Grey Wolves.[111] The assassin used a Browning 9mm semi-automatic pistol,[112] striking him in the abdomen and perforating his colon and small intestine multiple times.[42] John Paul II was rushed into the Vatican complex and then to the Gemelli Hospital. En route to the hospital, he lost consciousness. Even though the bullets missed his mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta, he lost nearly three-quarters of his blood. He underwent five hours of surgery to treat his massive blood loss and abdominal wounds.[113] Surgeons performed a colostomy, temporarily rerouting the upper part of the large intestine to let the damaged lower part heal.[113] When he briefly gained


consciousness before being operated on, he instructed the doctors not to remove his Brown Scapular during theoperation.[114] [115] The pope stated that Our Lady of Ftima helped keep him alive throughout his ordeal.[46] [110][116]

Could I forget that the event [Ali Aca's assassination attempt] in St. Peters Square took place on the day and at the hour when the firstappearance of the Mother of Christ to the poor little peasants has been remembered for over sixty years at Ftima, Portugal? For ineverything that happened to me on that very day, I felt that extraordinary motherly protection and care, which turned out to be stronger thanthe deadly bullet.

Pope John Paul II -Memory & Identity, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005, p.184

Aca was caught and restrained by a nun and other bystanders until police arrived. He was sentenced to lifeimprisonment. Two days after Christmas in 1983, John Paul II visited the prison where his would-be assassin wasbeing held. The two spoke privately for 20 minutes.[46] [110] John Paul II said, "What we talked about will have toremain a secret between him and me. I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my completetrust.On 2 March 2006, an Italian parliamentary commission, the Mitrokhin Commission, set up by Silvio Berlusconi andheaded by Forza Italia senator Paolo Guzzanti, concluded that the Soviet Union was behind the attempt on John PaulII's life,[111] [117] in retaliation for the pope's support of Solidarity, the Catholic, pro-democratic Polish workers'movement, a theory which had already been supported by Michael Ledeen and the United States Central IntelligenceAgency at the time.[111] [117] The Italian report stated that certain Communist Bulgarian security departments wereutilised to prevent the Soviet Union's role from being uncovered.[117] The report stated Soviet military intelligence(Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije)and not the KGBwas responsible.[117] Russian Foreign IntelligenceService spokesman Boris Labusov called the accusation absurd.[117] Although the Pope declared during a May2002 visit to Bulgaria that the country's Soviet bloc-era leadership had nothing to do with the assassinationattempt,[111] [117] his secretary, Cardinal Stanisaw Dziwisz, alleged in his book A Life with Karol, that the pope wasconvinced privately that the former Soviet Union was behind the assassination attempt.[118] Bulgaria and Russiadisputed the Italian commission's conclusions, pointing out that the Pope denied the Bulgarian connection.[117]

A second assassination attempt took place on 12 May 1982, just a day before the anniversary of the first attempt onhis life, in Ftima, Portugal when a man tried to stab John Paul II with a bayonet.[119] [120] [121] He was stopped bysecurity guards, although Stanisaw Cardinal Dziwisz later claimed that John Paul II had been injured during theattempt but managed to hide a non-life threatening wound.[119] [120] [121] The assailant, a traditionalist Spanish priestnamed Juan Mara Fernndez y Krohn,[119] was ordained as a priest by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre of the Societyof Saint Pius X and was opposed to the changes caused by the Second Vatican Council, calling the pope an agent ofCommunist Moscow and of the Marxist Eastern Bloc.[122] Fernndez y Krohn subsequently left the Roman Catholicpriesthood and served three years of a six-year sentence.[120] [121] [122] The ex-priest was treated for mental illnessand then expelled from Portugal, going on to become a solicitor in Belgium.[122] He was arrested again in July 2000after climbing over a security barricade at the Royal Palace of Brussels, accusing the visiting Spanish King JuanCarlos of murdering his older brother Alfonso in 1956.[120] [121] [123]

Pope John Paul II was one of the targets of the Al-Qaeda-funded Operation Bojinka during a visit to the Philippinesin 1995. The first plan was to kill Pope John Paul II when he visited the Philippines during the World Youth Day1995 celebrations. On 15 January 1995, a suicide bomber would dress up as a priest, while John Paul II passed in hismotorcade on his way to the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City. The assassin planned to get close to the Pope, anddetonate the bomb. The planned assassination of the Pope was intended to divert attention from the next phase of theoperation. However, a chemical fire inadvertently started by the would-be assassins alerted police to theirwhereabouts, and they were arrested nearly a week before the Pope's visit.[124]


Social and political stancesJohn Paul II was considered a conservative on doctrine and issues relating to reproduction and the ordination ofwomen.[125]

While the Pope was visiting the United States of America he said, "All human life, from the moments of conceptionand through all subsequent stages, is sacred."[126]

A series of 129 lectures given by John Paul during his Wednesday audiences in Rome between September 1979 andNovember 1984 were later compiled and published as a single work entitled Theology of the Body, an extendedmeditation on human sexuality. He extended it to condemnation of abortion, euthanasia and virtually all uses ofcapital punishment,[127] calling them all a part of the "culture of death" that is pervasive in the modern world. Hecampaigned for world debt forgiveness and social justice.[35] [125]

Liberation theology

In 1984 and 1986, through the voice of Cardinal Ratzinger, leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,John Paul II officially condemned aspects of Liberation theology, which has many followers in South America.scar Romero's attempt, during his visit to Europe, to obtain a Vatican condemnation of El Salvador's regime,denounced for violations of human rights and its support of death squads, was a failure. In his travel to Managua,Nicaragua in 1983, John Paul II harshly condemned what he dubbed the "popular Church"[128] (i.e. "ecclesial basecommunities" (CEBs) supported by the CELAM), and the Nicaraguan clergy's tendencies to support the leftistSandinistas, reminding the clergy of their duties of obedience to the Holy See.[128] During that visit ErnestoCardenal, a priest and minister in the Sandinista government, knelt to kiss his hand. John Paul withdrew it, waggedhis finger in Cardenal's face, and told him, "You must straighten out your position with the church."[129]

Jubilee 2000 campaign

Saint Peter's basilica and Pope John Paul II'simage on plate in Jubilee-Year 2000

In 2000, he publicly endorsed the Jubilee 2000 campaign on Africandebt relief fronted by Irish rock stars Bob Geldof and Bono.

Iraq war

In 2003, John Paul II became a prominent critic of the 2003 US-ledinvasion of Iraq.[35] In his 2003 State of the World address, the Popedeclared his opposition to the invasion by stating, "No to war! War isnot always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity."[130] He sentformer Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States Po Cardinal Laghito talk with American President George W. Bush to express oppositionto the war. John Paul II said that it was up to the United Nations tosolve the international conflict through diplomacy and that a unilateral aggression is a crime against peace and aviolation of international law.

Wars generally do not resolve the problems for which they are fought and therefore... prove ultimately futile. Pope John Paul II[45]


Evolution

See also: Evolution and the Roman Catholic Church and Scientific theories and the interpretation of Genesis.

On 22 October 1996, in a speech to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences plenary session at the Vatican, Pope JohnPaul II said of evolution that "this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series ofdiscoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of workthat was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favour of this theory." The Pope qualified thisby noting that, "rather than the theory of evolution, we should speak of several theories of evolution." Some of thesetheories, he noted, have a purely materialistic philosophical underpinning which is not compatible with the Catholicfaith: "Consequently, theories of evolution which, in accordance with the philosophies inspiring them, consider themind as emerging from the forces of living matter, or as a mere epiphenomenon of this matter, are incompatible withthe truth about man.[131] [132] [133] [134]

Although generally accepting the theory of evolution, John Paul II made one major exception the human soul. "Ifthe human body has its origin in living material which pre-exists it, the spiritual soul is immediately created byGod".[131] [133] [134]

Views on sexuality

While taking a traditional position on sexuality, defending the Church's moral opposition to marriage for same-sexcouples, the pope asserted that persons with homosexual inclinations possess the same inherent dignity and rights aseverybody else. In his last book, Memory and Identity, he referred to the "pressures" on the European Parliament topermit "homosexual 'marriage'". In the book, as quoted by Reuters, he wrote: "It is legitimate and necessary to askoneself if this is not perhaps part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pithuman rights against the family and against man."[35]

The Pope reaffirmed the Church's existing teaching on gender in relation to transsexuals, as the Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith, which he supervised, made clear that transsexuals could not serve in church positions.[35] [125]

A 1997 study determined that 3% of the pope's statements were about the issue of sexual morality.[135]

Health

Vatican Gardens

When he became pope in 1978, John Paul II was still an avid sportsman. Atthe time, the 58-year old was extremely healthy and active, jogging in theVatican gardens, weight training, swimming, and hiking in the mountains. Hewas fond of football. The media contrasted the new Pope's athleticism andtrim figure to the poor health of John Paul I and Paul VI, the portliness ofJohn XXIII and the constant claims of ailments of Pius XII. The only modernpope with a fitness regimen had been Pope Pius XI (19221939) who was anavid mountaineer.[136] [137] An Irish Independent article in the 1980s labelledJohn Paul II the keep-fit pope.

John Paul II fully recovered from the first failed assassination attempt, and sported an impressive physical conditionthroughout the 1980s. In November 1993, he slipped on a piece of newly installed carpet and fell down several steps,breaking his right shoulder.[138] Four months later he fell over in his bath, breaking his femur, resulting in a visit tothe Gemelli hospital for a hip replacement.[139] He rarely walked in


The ailing Pope John Paul II riding in thePopemobile on 22 September 2004

public after this, and began experiencing slurred speech and difficultyin hearing. The frail pontiff was suspected of having Parkinson'sdisease, although it was only revealed in 2001 by Italian orthopaedicsurgeon, Dr. Gianfranco Fineschi.[140] [141] The Vatican administrationeventually confirmed it in 2003, after keeping it secret for 12years.[142]

In February 2005, the pontiff was again taken to the Gemelli hospital with inflammation and spasm of the larynx, theresult of influenza.[143] He was readmitted a few days after release because of difficulty breathing. A tracheotomywas performed, which improved the Pope's breathing but limited his speaking abilities, to his visible frustration. TheVatican confirmed he was near death in March 2005, a few days before he died.[144]

Death and funeral

(l-r): Then-U.S. President George W. Bush, FirstLady Laura Bush, former Presidents Bush and

Clinton, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,pay their respects to John Paul II lying in state at

St. Peter's Basilica, 6 April 2005.

Crowd assembling for John Paul II's funeral masson 8 April 2005.

On 31 March 2005 following a urinary tract infection,[145] Pope JohnPaul II developed septic shock, a widespread form of infection with avery high fever and profoundly low blood pressure, but was not takento the hospital. Instead, he was offered medical monitoring by a teamof consultants at his private residence. This was taken as an indicationthat the pope and those close to him believed that he was nearingdeath; it would have been in accordance with his wishes to die in theVatican.[146] Later that day, Vatican sources announced that John PaulII had been given the Anointing of the Sick by his friend and secretaryStanisaw Dziwisz. During the final days of the Pope's life, the lightswere kept burning through the night where he lay in the Papalapartment on the top floor of the Apostolic Palace. Tens of thousandsof people assembled and held vigil in St. Peter's Square and thesurrounding streets for two days. Upon hearing of this, the dying popewas said to have stated: "I have searched for you, and now you havecome to me, and I thank you."[147]

On Saturday 2 April 2005, at about 15:30 CEST, John Paul II spoke hisfinal words, "pozwlcie mi odej do domu Ojca", ("Let me depart tothe house of the Father"), to his aides, and fell into a coma about fourhours later.[147] [148] The mass of the vigil of the Second Sunday ofEaster commemorating the canonisation of Saint Maria Faustina on 30April 2000,[149] had just been celebrated at his bedside, presided overby Stanisaw Dziwisz and two Polish associates. Present at the bedsidewas a cardinal from Ukraine who served as a priest with John Paul inPoland, along with Polish nuns of the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, whoran the papal household. He died in his private apartment, at 21:37 CEST[142] [148] [150] (19:37 UTC) of heart failurefrom profound hypotension and complete circulatory collapse from septic shock, 46 days short of his 85th birthday.


John Paul had no close family by the time he died, and his feelings are reflected in his words, as written in 2000, atthe end of his Last Will and Testament:[151]

As the end of my earthly life approaches, I return with my memory to its beginning, to my parents, my brother and the sister (whom I neverknew because she died before my birth), to the Parish of Wadowice where I was baptised, to that city I love, to my peers, friends fromelementary school, high school and the university, up to the time of the occupation when I was a worker, then in the Parish in Niegowic, to StFlorian's in Krakw, to the pastoral ministry of academics, to the milieu of... to all milieux... to Krakw and to Rome... to the people who wereentrusted to me in a special way by the Lord.[151]

A view from within the congregation at theRequiem Mass, 8 April 2005

The death of the pontiff set in motion rituals and traditions dating backto medieval times. The Rite of Visitation took place from 4 to 7 Aprilat St. Peter's Basilica. The Testament of Pope John Paul II publishedon 7 April[152] revealed that the pontiff contemplated being buried inhis native Poland but left the final decision to The College ofCardinals, which in passing, preferred burial beneath St. Peter'sBasilica, honouring the pontiff's request to be placed "in bare earth".The Mass of Requiem on 8 April was said to have set world recordsboth for attendance and number of heads of state present at afuneral.[153] [154] [155] [156] (See: List of Dignitaries). It was the singlelargest gathering of heads of state in history, surpassing the funerals ofWinston Churchill (1965) and Josip Broz Tito (1980). Four kings, fivequeens, at least 70 presidents and prime ministers, and more than 14 leaders of other religions attended alongside thefaithful.[154] It is likely to have been the largest single pilgrimage of Christianity in history, with numbers estimatedin excess of four million mourners gathering in Rome.[153] [155] [156] [157] Between 250,000 and 300,000 watched theevent from within the Vatican walls.[156] The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whowould become the next pope, conducted the ceremony. John Paul II was interred in the grottoes under the basilica,the Tomb of the Popes. He was lowered into a tomb created in the same alcove previously occupied by the remainsof Pope John XXIII. The alcove had been empty since Pope John's remains had been moved into the main body ofthe basilica after his beatification.

Posthumous recognition

Title "the Great"


Statue of John Paul II inCzstochowa, southern

Poland

Statue of Pope John Paul II (1984)carved by local First Nations at Martyrs'

Shrine, Midland, Ontario

Since the death of John Paul II, a number of clergy at the Vatican and laymenthroughout the world[42] [153] [158] have been referring to the late pontiff as"John Paul the Great"only the fourth pope to be so acclaimed, and the firstsince the first millennium.[42] [158] [159] [160] Scholars of Canon Law say thatthere is no official process for declaring a pope "Great"; the title simplyestablishes itself through popular and continued usage,[153] [161] [162] as is thecase with celebrated secular leaders (for example, Alexander III of Macedonbecame popularly known as Alexander the Great). The three popes who todaycommonly are known as "Great" are Leo I, who reigned from 440461 andpersuaded Attila the Hun to withdraw from Rome; Gregory I, 590604, afterwhom the Gregorian Chant is named; and Pope Nicholas I, 858867.[158]

His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, referred to him as "the great Pope JohnPaul II" in his first address[163] from the loggia of St. Peter's Church, andAngelo Cardinal Sodano referred to Pope John Paul II as "the Great" in hispublished written homily for the Mass of Repose.[164]

Since giving his homily at the funeral of Pope John Paul, Pope Benedict XVIhas continued to refer to John Paul II as "the Great." At the 20th World YouthDay in Germany 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, speaking in Polish, John Paul'snative language, said, "As the Great Pope John Paul II would say: keep theflame of faith alive in your lives and your people." In May 2006, PopeBenedict XVI visited John Paul's native Poland. During that visit, herepeatedly made references to "the great John Paul" and "my greatpredecessor".[165]

In addition to the Vatican calling him "the great," numerous newspapers havedone so. For example, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera called him"the Greatest" and the South African Catholic newspaper, The SouthernCross, has called him "John Paul II The Great".[166]

Some schools in the United States, such as John Paul the Great CatholicUniversity and John Paul the Great Catholic High School, have recently beennamed for John Paul II using this title.

Beatification

Beatification of John Paul II

Inspired by calls of "Santo Subito!" ("Saint Immediately!") from the crowdsgathered during the funeral,[153] [167] [168] [169] [170] [171] Benedict XVI began thebeatification process for his predecessor, bypassing the normal restriction thatfive years must pass after a person's death before the beatification process canbegin.[169] [] [172] [173] In an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, Camillo Ruini,Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome and the one responsible for promoting thecause for canonisation of any person who dies within that diocese, cited"exceptional circumstances" which suggested that the waiting period could bewaived.[3] [153] [174] [175] This decision was announced on 13 May 2005, the Feast of Our Lady of Ftima and the24th


Tomb of John Paul II in The Chapel of St.Sebastian

St Peter's Square during the Beatificationceremonies

Monument to Pope John Paul II inPozna

anniversary of the assassination attempt on John Paul II at St. Peter'sSquare.[176]

In early 2006, it was reported that the Vatican was investigating apossible miracle associated with John Paul II. Sister MarieSimon-Pierre, a French nun and a member of the Congregation ofLittle Sisters of Catholic Maternity Wards, confined to her bed byParkinson's Disease,[169] [177] was reported to have experienced a"complete and lasting cure after members of her community prayed forthe intercession of Pope John Paul II".[153] [167] [169] [178] [179] [180] Asof May 2008, Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre, then 46,[167] [169] wasworking again at a maternity hospital run by her order.[173] [177] [181][182]

"I was sick and now I am cured," she told reporter Gerry Shaw. "I amcured, but it is up to the church to say whether it was a miracle ornot."[177] [181]

On 28 May 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said Mass before an estimated900,000 people in John Paul II's native Poland. During his homily, heencouraged prayers for the early canonisation of John Paul II andstated that he hoped canonisation would happen "in the nearfuture."[177] [183]

In January 2007, Stanisaw Cardinal Dziwisz of Krakw, his formersecretary, announced that the key interviewing phase of thebeatification process, in Italy and Poland, was nearing completion.[153][177] [184] In February 2007, relics of Pope John Paul IIpieces ofwhite papal cassocks he used to wearwere being freely distributedwith prayer cards for the cause, a typical pious practice after a saintlyCatholic's death.[185] [186]

On 8 March 2007, the Vicariate of Rome announced that the diocesanphase of John Paul's cause for beatification was at an end. Following aceremony on 2 April 2007 the second anniversary of the Pontiff'sdeath the cause proceeded to the scrutiny of the committee of lay,clerical, and episcopal members of the Vatican's Congregation for theCauses of Saints, who will conduct an investigation of their own.[] [177][184]

On the fourth anniversary of Pope John Paul's death, 2 April 2009,Cardinal Dziwisz, told reporters of a presumed miracle that hadrecently occurred at the former pope's tomb in St. Peter's Basilica.[181][187] [188] [189] [190] [191] [192] A nine year-old Polish boy from Gdask,who was suffering from kidney cancer and was completely unable towalk, had been visiting the tomb with his parents. On leaving St.Peter's Basilica, the boy told them, "I want to walk," and began walking normally.[181] [187] [188] [189] [190] [191] [192]

On 16 November 2009, a panel of reviewers at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted unanimously that Pope John Paul II had lived a life of virtue.[193] [194] On 19 December 2009, Pope Benedict XVI signed the first of two decrees needed for beatification and proclaimed John Paul II "Venerable", in recognition that he lived a heroic, virtuous life.[193] [194] The second vote and the second signed decree recognise the authenticity of his first miracle


(the case of Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, the French nun who was cured of Parkinson's Disease). Once the seconddecree is signed, the positio (the report on the cause, with documentation about his life and his writings and withinformation on the cause) is regarded as being complete.[194] He can then be beatified.[193] [194] Some speculated thathe would be beatified sometime during (or soon after) the month of the 32nd anniversary of his 1978 election, inOctober 2010. As Monsignor Oder noted, this course would have been possible if the second decree were signed intime by Benedict XVI, stating that a posthumous miracle directly attributable to his intercession has occurred,completing the positio.The Vatican announced on 14 January 2011 that Pope Benedict XVI had confirmed the miracle involving SisterMarie Simon-Pierre and that John Paul II was to be beatified on 1 May, the Feast of Divine Mercy.[195] 1 May iscommemorated in former communist countries, such as Poland, and some Western European countries as May Day,and Pope John Paul II was well-known, among many other things, for his crucial contributions to Central andEastern European communist system's relatively peaceful demise, as attested by former Soviet President Gorbachevupon the pontiff's death.[42] [51]

On 29 April 2011, Pope John Paul II's coffin was exhumed from the grotto beneath St. Peter's Basilica ahead of hisbeatification, as tens of thousands of people began arriving in Rome for one of the biggest events since his funeral in2005.[196] The closed coffin containing John Paul II's remains was moved to a temporary place in front of theBasilica's main altar, where believers could pay their respect before and after the beatification mass in St. Peter'sSquare on 1 May. On 3 May 2011 Blessed Pope John Paul II's coffin was given a new resting place in the marblealtar in Pier Paolo Cristofari's Chapel of St. Sebastian, which is where Blessed Pope Innocent XI was buried. Thismore prominent location, next to the Chapel of the Pieta, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and statues of PopesPius XI and Pius XII, will increase the number of pilgrims capable of viewing his memorial.The Polish mint issued gold 1,000 Polish zloty coins (equivalent to US$350) with the Pope's image tocommemmorate his beatification.[197]

It will be a great joy for us when he is officially beatified, but as far as we are concerned he is already a Saint.Stanisaw Cardinal Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakw[182]

On the same day "Non abbiate paura" ("Have no fear"), the official song dedicated to John Paul II featuringoriginal images and words of the Pope was released. The song, authored by Giorgio Mantovan and FrancescoFiuman, was performed by Italian singer Matteo Setti and is the only musical piece for which the Vatican has givenpermission to use Karol Wojtyla's voice.[198]

Stages of canonization in the Catholic Church

Servant of God Venerable Blessed Saint

CriticismJohn Paul II was criticised for his support of the Opus Dei prelature and the 2002 canonisation of its founder,Josemara Escriv, whom he called "the saint of ordinary life."[125] [199] [200] Other movements and religiousorganisations of the Church went decidedly under his wing (Legion of Christ, the Neocatechumenal Way,Schoenstatt, the charismatic movement) and he was accused repeatedly of waving a soft hand on them, especially inthe case of Rev. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ.[125] [201]

John Paul II's defence of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church regarding gender roles, sexuality, euthanasia,artificial contraception and abortion came under attack. Some feminists, as well as Catholic theologians such as JohnWijngaards criticised his moral positions on the roles of women, which included rejecting women priests.[202]


Many gay rights activists and others criticised him for maintaining the Church's unbroken opposition to homosexualbehaviour and same-sex marriage.[125]

In addition to all the criticism from those demanding modernisation, traditionalist Catholics sometimes denouncedhim from the right, demanding a return to the Tridentine Mass[203] and repudiation of the reforms instituted after theSecond Vatican Council, such as the use of the vernacular language in the formerly Latin Roman Rite Mass,ecumenism, and the principle of religious liberty. He was accused by these critics for allowing and appointing liberalbishops in their sees and thus silently promoting Modernism, which was firmly condemned as the "synthesis of allheresies" by his predecessor Pope St. Pius X.[125]

John Paul's defence of the Catholic Church's moral teaching against the use of artificial birth control was harshlycriticised by doctors and AIDS activists, who said that it led to countless deaths and millions of AIDS orphans.[204]

Critics have claimed that large families are caused by lack of contraception and exacerbate Third World poverty andproblems such as street children in South America.[125] The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development published apaper stating, "Any strategy that enables a person to move from a higher-risk towards the lower end of thecontinuum, [we] believe, is a valid risk reduction strategy."[205]

Since his death, he has been criticised for failing to act on accusations of sexual child abuse by priests, includingthose against founder of Legion of Christ Marcial Maciel.[206]

ApologiesJohn Paul II apologised to Jews, Galileo, women, victims of the Inquisition, Muslims killed by the Crusaders, andalmost everyone who had suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church through the years.[35] [207] Even before hebecame the Pope, he was a prominent editor and supporter of initiatives like the Letter of Reconciliation of thePolish Bishops to the German Bishops from 1965. As Pope, he officially made public apologies for over 100 of thesewrongdoings, including: The legal process on the Italian scientist and philosopher Galileo Galilei, himself a devout Catholic, around 1633

(31 October 1992).[153] [208] [209] [210]

Catholics' involvement with the African slave trade (9 August 1993). The Church Hierarchy's role in burnings at the stake and the religious wars that followed the Protestant

Reformation (May 1995, in the Czech Republic). The injustices committed against women, the violation of women's rights and for the historical denigration of

women (10 July 1995, in a letter to "every woman"). The inactivity and silence of many Catholics during the Holocaust (see the article Religion in Nazi Germany) (16

March 1998).

An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded.Pope John Paul II[45]


Honours and namesakes

Pope Benedict XVI is shown a map of IoannesPaulus II Peninsula in Antarctica.

Several national and municipal public projects were named in honourof the Pope: the Roma Termini station, was dedicated to Pope JohnPaul II by a vote of the City Council, the first municipal public objectin Rome bearing the name of a non Italian. International airportsnamed after him are John Paul II International Airport Krakw-Balice one of the principal airports of Poland and the Joo Paulo IIAirport in the Azores. The Juan Pablo II Bridge is located in Chile,while John Paul II Square in Bulgaria denotes the Pope's visit to Sofiain 2002. In Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras is a popularboulevard called "Juan Pablo II". It was named like that after the visitof the pope to Tegucigalpa Estdio Joo Paulo II (John Paul IIStadium) is a football (soccer) stadium in Moji-Mirim in Brazil. Parvis

Notre-Dame Place Jean-Paul II is a centrepiece of one of Paris' neighbourhoods. On Sunday 10 December 2006,the city of Plormel, Morbihan, western France, unveiled an 8.75m (28.71ft) tall statue of John Paul II, it was a giftby Russo-Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. On 5 October 2011, Lyon, France, unveiled an 3 m tall statue of JohnPaul II near the basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvire. Pope John Paul II Park is a feature of Boston,Massachusetts[211] while Pope John Paul II Drive serves residents of Chicago, Illinois.[212] In Ciudad Juarez,Mexico, there's a Blvd. named John Paul II.

Of international interest, Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands was namedin honour of the Pope. The Antarctic landmark recognises his contribution to world peace and understanding amongpeople.A museum in Czstochowa opened on 11 August 2011, and features about 5,500 medals and coins with the Pope'simage. The museum was founded by the president of President Electronics Poland, Krzysztof Witkowski.[213]

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought. Pope John Paul II[45]

Media On 4 and 7 December 2005, CBS aired a television mini-series about the life of Pope John Paul II titled Pope

John Paul II, depicting his early adult years in Poland to his death. The mini-series was written and directed byJohn Kent Harrison and stars Cary Elwes as the younger Wojtya and Jon Voight as the older. The film co-starsJames Cromwell as Archbishop Adam Stefan Sapieha, Ben Gazzara as Agostino Casaroli and Christopher Lee asStefan Wyszyski.

Karol: A Man Who Became Pope is a 2005 TV miniseries directed by Giacomo Battiato, and created asPolish-Italian-French-German and Canadian joint cooperation project. Karol is a biography of Karol Wojtya,later known as Pope John Paul II, beginning in 1939 when Karol was only 19 years old and ending at the conclave(October 1978) that made him the Pope.

Karol: The Pope, The Man is a 2006 TV miniseries chronicling Pope John Paul II's life as pope, directed byGiacomo Battiato. It is the sequel to the TV miniseries Karol: A Man Who Became Pope, which portrayed JohnPaul's life before the papacy.

On 25 February 2011, BBC Radio 4 broadcast Conclave by Hugh Costello as part of the Friday Play series, starring David Calder as Cardinal Franz Koenig, Allison Reid as Hannah Popper, Nicholas Le Prevost as Cardinal Giovanni Benelli, Paul Nicholson as Cardinal Giuseppe Siri and Andrew Hilton as Cardinal Karol Wojtya (the


future Pope John Paul II). The play depicts John Paul II's election as Pope after John Paul I's mysterious deathtaking place in an atmosphere of high tension between opposing factions within the Vatican, including those whowant to elect the first non-Italian Pope for over four hundred years.

On May 2011, The Philippines made a documentary for Pope John Paul II named "BANAL"(Holy) aired inABS-CBN.

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About.com. . Retrieved 1 January 2009.[2] "John Paul II Biography (19202005)" (http:/ / www. biography. com/ search/ article. do?id=9355652). A&E Television Networks. .

Retrieved 1 January 2009.[3] "His Holiness John Paul II : Short Biography" (http:/ / www. vatican. va/ news_services/ press/ documentazione/ documents/

santopadre_biografie/ giovanni_paolo_ii_biografia_breve_en. html). Vatican Press Office. 30 June 2005. . Retrieved 1 January 2009.[4] "Pope John Paul II 19202005" (http:/ / edition. cnn. com/ SPECIALS/ 2005/ pope/ stories/ bio1/ index. html). CNN. . Retrieved 1 January

2009.[5] Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau; Pope John Paul II has Ukrainian blood on his mother's side. (http:/ / www. ewtn. com/ vexperts/

showmessage_print. asp?number=375382)[6] St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Grand Rapids; Pope John Paul II had relatives on his mothers side of the family who were

Ukrainian Catholics of the Byzantine Rite. (http:/ / www. klee. us/ stmichaelgrandrapids/ easterncatholicicsm. htm)[7] "Karol Wojtya (Pope John Paul II) Timeline" (http:/ / www. cbn. com/ spirituallife/ ChurchAndMinistry/

KarolWojtylaPopeJohnPaulTimeline. aspx). Christian Broadcasting Network. . Retrieved 1 January 2009.[8] Stourton, Edward (2006). John Paul II: Man of History. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p.11. ISBN0340908165.[9] Stourton, Edward (2006). John Paul II: Man of History. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p.25. ISBN0340908165.[10] "Pope John Paul the most revered human being on earth popejohnpaul.com" (http:/ / popejohnpaul. com/ php/ showContent. php?linkid=1).

popejohnpaul.com. . Retrieved 1 January 2009.[11] Kuhiwczak, Piotr (1 January 2007). "A literary Pope" (http:/ / www. thenews. pl/ news/ artykul21561. html). Polish Radio. . Retrieved 1

May 2011.[12] Stourton, Edward (2006). John Paul II: Man of History. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p.60. ISBN0340908165.[13] Stourton, Edward (2006). John Paul II: Man of History. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p.63. ISBN0340908165.[14] George Weigel, "Witness to Hope" HarperCollins Publishers 2001, page 71[15] Davies, Norman (2004). Rising '44: The Battle for Warsaw. 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL: Viking Penguin. pp.253254.

ISBN0-670-03284-0.[16] George Weigel, "Witness to Hope" HarperCollins Publishers 2001, pages 7121[17] Norman Davies, Rising '44: The Battle for Warsaw Viking Penguin 2004, pages 253254[18] Witness to Hope, George Weigel, HarperCollins (1999, 2001) ISBN 0-06-018793-X.[19] "Profile of Edith Zierier (1946)" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080419140949/ http:/ / voices. iit. edu/ Profiles/ ziere_p. html). Voices of

the Holocaust. 2000 Paul V. Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology. Archived from the original (http:/ / voices. iit. edu/ Profiles/ziere_p. html) on 19 April 2008. . Retrieved 1 January 2009.

[20] "CNN Live event transcript" (http:/ / transcripts. cnn. com/ TRANSCRIPTS/ 0504/ 08/ se. 01. html). CNN. 8 April 2005. . Retrieved 1January 2009.

[21] Roberts, Genevieve., "The death of Pope John Paul II: `He saved my life with tea, bread'" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/20071215035053/ http:/ / findarticles. com/ p/ articles/ mi_qn4159/ is_20050403/ ai_n13509294), The Independent, 3 April 2005, Retrievedon 17 June 2007.

[22] Cohen, Roger., " The Polish Seminary Student and the Jewish Girl He Saved" (http:/ / www. dialog. org/ hist/ JohnPaulII-EdithZierer. htm),International Herald Tribune, 6 April 2005, Retrieved on 17 June 2007.

[23] Stourton, Edward (2006). John Paul II: Man of History. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p.71. ISBN0340908165.[24] "His Holiness John Paul II, Biography, Pre-Pontificate" (http:/ / www. vatican. va/ news_services/ press/ documentazione/ documents/

santopadre_biografie/ giovanni_paolo_ii_biografia_prepontificato_en. html#1946). Holy See. . Retrieved 1 January 2008.[25] Maxwell-Stuart, P.G. (2006). Chronicle of the Popes. London: Thames & Hudson. p.233. ISBN978-0-500-28608-6.[26] "Pope John Paul II: A Light for

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