Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Karol Joseph Wojtyla was born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920, to an officer in the Polish army and a former school teacher. As a young man, Karol was athletic. He enjoyed playing soccer as a goalie and took swam in Swaka River. He also was an excellent student and he served as president of his school. Karol developed a love of theater and always wanted to study literature and become a professional actor. During the Nazi affair, Karol privately followed both his studies and his acting while working as a stonecutter to support himself and to hold the work permit he needed to avoid to be deported or imprisoned. While recovering from an accident, Karol considered a religious profession and by 1942 he was studying for priesthood. Karol Wojtyla was ordained a priest on November 1, 1946. In 1958, Father Wojtyla was named auxiliary bishop of Krakow and four years later he gained leadership of the diocese with the title of vicar capitular. He was an important leader, often taking a public stand against communism and government officials. In 1967, Pope Paul VI chose him to cardinal. On October 16, 1978, at 58, he was elected to Pope John Paul I. He was the first Polish pope and also the first non-Italian pope since Pope Adrian VI in 1522. That same year Pope John Paul II suffered severe wounds when he was shot as he entered St. Peter's Square to address an audience. The pope spent two and half months hospitalized but he fully recovered from his wounds. Two days after Christmas in 1983, Pope John Paul went to the prison and met with his assassin. John Paul has kept their conversation confidential. The pope has enjoyed hiking, skiing, backpacking, and kayaking. "In 1985 he called young people to join him for the first World Youth Day in Rome. Since that time, he has continued to speak with young people, encouraging them to live the gospels and reach out in a spirit of evangelization to their friends. Pope John Paul II continues to celebrate World Youth Day every other year." ("John Paul II" Encarta). I chose Pope John Paul II because he is an important Polish person in today's society, which of course, there isn't a lot of.

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