Pope John Paul II
The first non-Italian Roman Catholic pope in 456 years,
His Holiness Pope John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla in
Wadowice, Poland, in 1920. Ordained a priest in 1946, he
became a professor of philosophy at the Catholic University
of Lublin and the University of Kraków. In 1978,
he began his reign as one of the most active pontiffs in
history. After surviving a 1981 assassination attempt by
Mehmet Ali Agca, he visited Agca in his cell and forgave
him. A conservative on social issues, His Holiness has traveled
throughout both the Catholic and non-Catholic world- including
in recent years Cuba and the Middle East-as a vocal proponent
of human rights and peace.
He died on April 2, 2005 and his funeral
is estimated to have been the largest single Christian pilgrimage in
history with several million Catholics gathered in the streets of Rome
to pay their respects.
Resources for Teachers
and Students
Reflections on Working
Towards Peace