Biography Of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II was one of the most memorable Popes in the current era. He lived through centuries of most turbulent times and provided an unambiguous moral stance and guidance for his Catholic Church. He also played a significant role in the transition from Communism to more democratic institutions throughout Eastern Europe.
“Strengthen your bonds to unify us, and remove everything that caused us to be divided over the years.”
” Pope John Paul II
The Early Years Karol Wojtyla
Born in Poland on 18th May 1920. Karol Wojtyla grew into a turbulent time. When he was a teenager, his life was marked by the violent Nazi regime in Poland. He was witness to a variety of atrocities and, at times, escaped by sacrificing his life. At the time of the conflict, he took the decision to study to become a priest. this was to be accomplished secretly. In the course of the war, he also was recognized for helping Jewish friends get away from persecutors.
The fall of Nazi Germany saw Poland suffering under occupation. Although less brutal and more peaceful, it was not without its own problems. The Communist state was wary of the Catholic church, and Karol was often harassed by officials of the state. However, the young Pope earned a favorable reputation. He was charismatic, and intelligent and was a great influence on his students in the early years. His sharp mind and practical knowledge helped him gain rapid recognition in his Catholic clergy. At the age of 38, he was appointed the youngest priest in Poland.
Beginning in October 1962 Bishop Wojtyla took part in the groundbreaking of the Second Vatican Council which re-evaluated Catholic practices.
Pope John Paul II (1980)
In 1978 following the demise of the pope’s Pope Paul VI, and John Paul I (after only 33 days), Karol was elected pope. He was the pope of the youngest age and also the first pope hailing from Poland.
It was a bit of a shock to John Paul. He accepted the post in a manner of humility
“With faith and obedience to Christ my Lord, and with faith to the Virgin Mary of Christ and the Church even in the face of many obstacles, I believe.’
Pope John Paul soon put his stamp on the papal pope’s papacy. He traveled extensively and frequently across more than 120 countries. His first trip to Poland in 1978 created the talk of the town with huge crowds throughout. It was believed to have sparked the movement for solidarity in 1980 and provided moral support to those who sought to bring down Soviet rule.
Biography Of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul and the fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the berlin wall in l1989 In the years he spent in communist-ruled Poland pope John Paul had great hopes of seeing the end of Communism. President Mikhail Gorbachev The Pope paid a rousing tribute in honor of Pope John Paul’s contributions to the process of transition in Eastern Europe.
“Everything that took place during the time of Eastern Europe in these last few years would have been unimaginable in the absence of Pope Francis and without the crucial role, and even the role in politics was played by him on the global scene.”
Pope John Paul also made a historic trip to South Africa in 1995, has stated that they to not travel to South Africa until the system of apartheid ended. He was greeted in the terminal by Nelson Mandela. Mandela welcomed him with a smile and a few words.
“To declare that your visit is far overdue is to show respect to your personal aversion to apartheid’s system. You resisted your visit to this nation because you disdained the system that treated God’s children like inferior humans.”
Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa and John Paul were close to one another and were full of admiration for the services they provided to each other. The year 1994 was the time that Time magazine asked Mother Teresa to give her opinion on John Paul, she replied:
Always bolstered by a deep faith
Inspiring by prayer without end,
In unshakeable Hope,
In Love With God.”
After the death of Mother Teresa Pope, John Paul II pushed for her canonization. Pope John Paul made the most saints during his pontificate. He was the key to giving legitimacy to Maria Faustina (a Polish mystic) as well as Padre Pio (a charismatic Italian mystic)
Pope John Paul II and Other Religions
Pope John Paul II maintained good relations with other religions and showed his interest in religious conferences which were previously not seen as being a priority for the Vatican. For example, at Assisi on the 26th of September in 1986 during the World day of prayer for peace, more than 120 different religions were represented when people offered prayers for peace.
Particularly his apology for antisemitic actions in the past facilitated more positive relations among Jews in addition to Catholics.
“We are deeply grieved by the actions of those who during the course of time have caused the kids of you to be hurt and we ask for your forgiveness. we would like to pledge our allegiance to true friendship with all those who are part of Covenant.” Covenant.”
The pope, John Paul II (12 March 2000)
Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan.
The pope offered more than 100 apology apologies over various sins like females, Galileo, his role in slavery as well as the lack of silence by Catholics during the Holocaust. Pope John Paul II made an important trip to Greece at the beginning of 2001. It was his first visit to Greece in over 1,291 years. He met with the leader of the Church of Greece and offered an apology for past wrongdoings by the Catholic Church, such as the sacking of Constantinople. Both leaders signed the same declaration, stating that they support Christianity within Europe and abstain from ‘any recourse to proselytism, violence, and fanaticism to promote religion. In the identical year, Pope John Paul II was the first pope who prayed in the Mosque (in Damascus, Syria). He was the first pope to kiss the Qu’ran which was a gesture that was admired by a large number of Muslims but was criticized by conservative members of the Catholic Church.
Biography Of Pope John Paul II
Devotion to Mary
Pope John Paul II had an unwavering dedication to The Virgin Mary. In his time as Pope and his visit to Lourdes as well as Fatima. In 1981, there was an assassination attempt and despite being shot, Pope was able to escape. He attributed his life due to intervention by Our Lady of Fatima, noting that it occurred on the sixty-sixth anniversary of the Fatima appearances. The pope was the first to get Virgin Mary’s initials included on his banner.
The pope then met with the assassin who killed him, Mehmet Ali Agca, in prison, and asked him to forgive him.
Pope Francis on Moral Questions
Concerning morality On moral issues, the Pope was the most conservative. He was against the death penalty and contraception, as well as abortion female priests, and gay marriages. He was ridiculed for his opposing the use of condoms to combat STDs like AIDS.
He was against an Iraq invasion in 2003. stating that his position was that the United Nations should be involved in resolving conflicts, not just the unilateral use of force
“Wars generally don’t solve the issues that are fought, and thus… end up being useless.” ”
— Pope John Paul II
Death
Near the final stages of his life, the doctor diagnosed him with the disease Parkinson’s. The year 2005 saw his condition quickly fall into decline – suffering from flu and an infection of the urinary tract and septic shock as well as low pressure of blood. On the 2nd of April, 2005, he uttered one last prayer “HTML0″ Allow me to leave to the home of my Father” and died later in the day, at 85 years old.
Canonization
John Paul II was canonized by Pope Francis on 27 April 2014. The date of his feast day is 22 October to commemorate the date on which he was ordained as Pope.
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