Feast of Saint John Paul II – October 22

Karol Józef Wojtyla was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began to study in the clandestine seminary of Krakow. He was ordained to the priesthood in Krakow in 1946. He then completed a doctorate in theology in Rome in 1948 and returned to Poland as a parish priest in Krakow as well as chaplain to university students. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin.

In 1958, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow and in 1964, was appointed archbishop. He was an active participant in the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul VI made him a cardinal in 1967.

Wojtyla was elected Pope on October 16, 1978, and took the name of John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian Pope since the 16th century. John Paul II was extremely dynamic, driven a tireless missionary spirit. He made 104 pastoral visits outside Italy and 146 within Italy. He visited the Holy Land in 2000, paying visits to the Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders and to the Jewish, Muslim and non-Catholic Christian religious leaders. His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994.

Pope John Paul II was the victim of an assassination attempt in 1981. He is attributed with playing an important role in the ending of Communist rule in Poland and throughout Eastern Europe. He successfully encouraged dialogue with the Jews and with the representatives of other religions, whom he several times invited to prayer meetings for peace, especially in Assisi. Under his guidance the Church prepared herself for the third millennium and celebrated the Great Jubilee of the year 2000.

Towards the end of his life, he was more and more incapacitated by sickness. He finally died on April 2, 2005. He was canonized on April 27, 2014 by Pope Francis.

View the film “Karol the man who became Pope – Part 1” here

View the film “Karol the Pope – Part II” here