Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Head of the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see John Paul II (disambiguation) , Pope John Paul II (disambiguation) , Saint John Paul II (disambiguation) , JP2 (disambiguation) , and Karol Wojtyla (disambiguation) .

Pope Saint

John Paul II

Bishop of Rome John Paul in 1988

Church Catholic Church Papacy began 16 October 1978 Papacy ended 2 April 2005 Predecessor John Paul I Successor Benedict XVI

Previous posts

• Titular Bishop of Ombi (1958–1964)
• Auxiliary Bishop of Kraków (1958–1964)
• Archbishop of Kraków (1964–1978)
• Cardinal Priest of San Cesareo in Palatio (1967–1978)

Orders Ordination 1 November 1946 by Adam Stefan Sapieha Consecration 28 September 1958 by Eugeniusz Baziak Created cardinal 26 June 1967 by Paul VI Rank Cardinal priest

Personal details Born Karol Józef Wojtyła (1920-05-18) 18 May 1920, Wadowice , Poland Died 2 April 2005 (aged 84), Apostolic Palace , Vatican City Buried Chapel of St. Sebastian, St. Peter’s Basilica

Education

• Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (PhL, PhD )
• Jagiellonian University (STD )

Motto Totus tuus (Latin for ‘Totally yours’)

Signature

Coat of arms

Sainthood Feast day 22 October Venerated in Catholic Church Beatified 1 May 2011, St. Peter’s Square , Vatican City by Pope Benedict XVI Canonized 27 April 2014, St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope Francis

Attributes

• Papal vestments
• Papal ferula

Patronage

• Poland
• Archdiocese of Kraków
• World Youth Day (co-patron)
• World Meeting of Families 2015 (co-patron)
• Young Catholics
• Families [1]
• Świdnica [2]
• Trecastelli [3]
• Borgo Mantovano [4]
• Rivignano Teor [5]
• Paradahan, Tanza, Cavite (major patron) [6]

Philosophical work Era 20th-century philosophy Region Western philosophy School

• Personalism
• Lublin Thomism

Notable works

• Love and Responsibility
• Theology of the Body
• 1983 Code of Canon Law (promulgated)
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (promulgated)
• Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (promulgated)
• Fides et ratio
• Memory and Identity

Notable ideas

• Culture of life and death
• Mysteries of light [a]
• Social mortgage
• Theology of the Body

Ordination history Diaconal ordination Ordained by Adam Stefan Sapieha Date 20 October 1946

Priestly ordination Ordained by Adam Stefan Sapieha Date 1 November 1946 Place Chapel of the Kraków Archbishop’s residence

Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Eugeniusz Baziak Co-consecrators

• Franciszek Jop
• Bolesław Kominek Date 28 September 1958 Place Wawel Cathedral , Kraków

Cardinalate Elevated by Pope Paul VI Date 26 June 1967

Bishops consecrated by Pope John Paul II as principal consecrator Piotr Longin Bednarczyk 21 April 1968 Józef Rozwadowski 24 November 1968 Stanisław Smolenski 5 April 1970 Albin Małysiak 5 April 1970 Paweł Socha 26 December 1973 Józef Marek 27 December 1973 Franciszek Macharski 6 January 1979 Justo Mullor García 27 May 1979 Alfio Rapisarda 27 May 1979 Achille Silvestrini 27 May 1979 Samuel Seraphimov Djoundrine 27 May 1979 Rubén López Ardón 27 May 1979 Paulino Lukudu Loro 27 May 1979 Vincent Mojwok Nyiker 27 May 1979 Armido Gasparini 27 May 1979 Michael Hughes Kenny 27 May 1979 William Russell Houck 27 May 1979 José Cardoso Sobrinho 27 May 1979 Gerhard Ludwig Goebel 27 May 1979 Décio Pereira 27 May 1979 Fernando José Penteado 27 May 1979 Girolamo Grillo 27 May 1979 Paciano Aniceto 27 May 1979 Alan Basil de Lastic 27 May 1979 William Thomas Larkin 27 May 1979 John Joseph O’Connor 27 May 1979 Jean-Marie Lafontaine 27 May 1979 Ladislau Biernaski 27 May 1979 Newton Holanda Gurgel 27 May 1979 Matthew Harvey Clark 27 May 1979 Alejandro Goić Karmelić 27 May 1979 Pedro de Guzman Magugat 27 May 1979 Ramón López Carrozas 27 May 1979 Jozef Tomko 15 September 1979 Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky 12 November 1979 Giovanni Coppa 6 January 1980 Carlo Maria Martini 6 January 1980 Christian Wiyghan Tumi 6 January 1980 Marcel Bam’ba Gongoa 4 May 1980 Louis Nkinga Bondala 4 May 1980 Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya 4 May 1980 Paride Taban 4 May 1980 Roger Mpungu 4 May 1980 Michel-Joseph-Gérard Gagnon 4 May 1980 Dominique Kimpinde Amando 4 May 1980 Joseph Nduhirubusa 4 May 1980 Vicente Joaquim Zico 6 January 1981 Sergio Goretti 6 January 1981 Giulio Sanguineti 6 January 1981 Francesco Voto 6 January 1981 Gregory Obinna Ochiagha 6 January 1981 Anicetus Bongsu Antonius Sinaga 6 January 1981 Lucas Luis Dónnelly Carey 6 January 1981 Filippo Giannini 6 January 1981 Ennio Appignanesi 6 January 1981 Martino Scarafile 6 January 1981 Alessandro Plotti 6 January 1981 Stanisław Szymecki 12 April 1981 Charles Louis Joseph Vandame 6 January 1982 John Bulaitis 6 January 1982 Traian Crişan 6 January 1982 Charles Kweku Sam 6 January 1982 John Joseph O’Connor 6 January 1982 Antônio Alberto Guimarães Rezende 6 January 1982 Francis George Adeodatus Micallef 6 January 1982 Anthony Michael Milone 6 January 1982 Salim Sayegh 6 January 1982 Virgilio Noè 6 March 1982 Antonio Vitale Bommarco 6 January 1983 José Sebastián Laboa Gallego 6 January 1983 Karl-Josef Rauber 6 January 1983 Francesco Monterisi 6 January 1983 Kevin Joseph Aje 6 January 1983 John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan 6 January 1983 Pietro Rossano 6 January 1983 Anacleto Sima Ngua 6 January 1983 Ildefonso Obama Obono 6 January 1983 Jaroslav Škarvada 6 January 1983 Dominik Hrušovský 6 January 1983 Luigi del Gallo Roccagiovine 6 January 1983 Zenon Grocholewski 6 January 1983 Juliusz Paetz 6 January 1983 Alfons Maria Stickler 1 November 1983 Paolo Romeo 6 January 1984 Paul Kim Tchang-ryeol 6 January 1984 Polycarp Pengo 6 January 1984 Nicolas Okioh 6 January 1984 Eugenio Binini 6 January 1984 Ernest Kombo 6 January 1984 Jan Pieter Schotte 6 January 1984 Mathai Kochuparampil 6 January 1984 Domenico Pecile 6 January 1984 Bernard Patrick Devlin 6 January 1985 Kazimierz Górny 6 January 1985 Aloysius Balina 6 January 1985 Afonso Nteka 6 January 1985 Pellegrino Tomaso Ronchi 6 January 1985 Fernando Sáenz Lacalle 6 January 1985 Jorge Arturo Agustín Medina Estévez 6 January 1985 Justin Francis Rigali 14 September 1985 Pier Luigi Celata 6 January 1986 Franjo Komarica 6 January 1986 Walmir Alberto Valle 6 January 1986 Norbert Wendelin Mtega 6 January 1986 John Bosco Manat Chuabsamai 6 January 1986 Donald William Wuerl 6 January 1986 Felipe González González 6 January 1986 Józef Michalik 16 October 1986 Gilberto Agustoni 6 January 1987 Franc Perko 6 January 1987 Dino Monduzzi 6 January 1987 Joseph Sangval Surasarang 6 January 1987 Giorgio Biguzzi 6 January 1987 Benedict Dotu Sekey 6 January 1987 Julio Edgar Cabrera Ovalle 6 January 1987 William Jerome McCormack 6 January 1987 Emmanuel Alex Mapunda 6 January 1987 Dominic Su Haw Chiu 6 January 1987 John Magee 17 March 1987 Beniamino Stella 5 September 1987 René Pierre Louis Joseph Séjourné 5 September 1987 Giulio Nicolini 5 September 1987 Giovanni Battista Re 7 November 1987 Michel Sabbah 6 January 1988 Marian Oles 6 January 1988 Emery Kabongo Kanundowi 6 January 1988 Luís d’Andrea 6 January 1988 Victor Adibe Chikwe 6 January 1988 Athanasius Atule Usuh 6 January 1988 José Raúl Vera López 6 January 1988 Srećko Badurina 6 January 1988 Luigi Belloli 6 January 1988 John Gavin Nolan 6 January 1988 Audrys Juozas Bačkis 4 October 1988 Giovanni Lajolo 6 January 1989 Pasquale Macchi 6 January 1989 Francesco Marchisano 6 January 1989 Justin Tetmu Samba 6 January 1989 John Mendes 6 January 1989 Leon Augustine Tharmaraj 6 January 1989 Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa 6 January 1989 Raffaele Calabro 6 January 1989 Francisco José Arnáiz Zarandona 6 January 1989 Ramón Benito de La Rosa y Carpio 6 January 1989 Cipriano Calderón Polo 6 January 1989 Alvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri 6 January 1989 Andrea Maria Erba 6 January 1989 Józef Kowalczyk 6 January 1989 Edmond Farhat 6 January 1989 Janusz Bolonek 6 January 1989 Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz 6 January 1989 Giovanni Tonucci 6 January 1990 Ignazio Bedini 6 January 1990 Mario Milano 6 January 1990 Giovanni Ceirano 6 January 1990 Oscar Rizzato 6 January 1990 Antonio Ignacio Velasco Garcia 6 January 1990 Paul Runangaza Ruzoka 6 January 1990 Marian Błażej Kruszyłowicz 6 January 1990 Pierre François Marie Joseph Duprey 6 January 1990 Domenico Umberto D’Ambrosio 6 January 1990 Edward Dajczak 6 January 1990 Benjamin Almoneda 6 January 1990 Francesco Gioia 5 April 1990 Edward Nowak 5 April 1990 Giacinto Berloco 5 April 1990 Erwin Josef Ender 5 April 1990 Jean-Louis Tauran 6 January 1991 Vinko Puljic 6 January 1991 Marcello Costalunga 6 January 1991 Osvaldo Padilla 6 January 1991 Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa 6 January 1991 Bruno Pius Ngonyani 6 January 1991 Francis Emmanuel Ogbonna Okobo 6 January 1991 Andrea Gemma 6 January 1991 Joseph Habib Hitti 6 January 1991 Jacinto Guerrero Torres 6 January 1991 Álvaro del Portillo 6 January 1991 Julián Herranz Casado 6 January 1991 Bruno Bertagna 6 January 1991 Ernesto Maria Fiore 6 January 1992 Rino Passigato 6 January 1992 Juan Matogo Oyana 6 January 1992 Gastone Simoni 6 January 1992 Iñaki Mallona Txertudi 6 January 1992 Philippe Nkiere Keana 6 January 1992 Benjamin de Jesus 6 January 1992 John Joseph Glynn 6 January 1992 Petar Šolić 6 January 1992 Michael Louis Fitzgerald 6 January 1992 Henri Salina 6 January 1992 Crescenzio Sepe 26 April 1992 Antonio Franco 26 April 1992 Carlo Maria Viganò 26 April 1992 Luigi Travaglino 26 April 1992 Tadeusz Rakoczy 26 April 1992 Tadeusz Pieronek 26 April 1992 Enzo Dieci 26 April 1992 Nerses Der Nersessian 17 November 1992 Diego Causero 6 January 1993 Charles G. Palmer-Buckle 6 January 1993 Elio Sgreccia 6 January 1993 Henryk Tomasik 6 January 1993 Henry Joseph Mansell 6 January 1993 Jan Kopiec 6 January 1993 Alojz Uran 6 January 1993 Luigi Sposito 6 January 1993 Norbert Klemens Strotmann Hoppe 6 January 1993 Elmo Noel Joseph Perera 6 January 1993 Csaba Ternyák 6 January 1993 Franco Illia 25 April 1993 Rrok Kola Mirdita 25 April 1993 Robert Ashta 25 April 1993 Zef Simoni 25 April 1993 Peter Paul Prabhu 6 January 1994 Peter Stephan Zurbriggen 6 January 1994 Jean-Paul Gobel 6 January 1994 Julien Mawule Kouto 6 January 1994 Edward James Slattery 6 January 1994 Uriah Adolphus Ashley Maclean 6 January 1994 Emiliano Antonio Cisneros Martínez 6 January 1994 Américo do Couto Oliveira 6 January 1994 Christo Proykov 6 January 1994 Ramon Arguelles 6 January 1994 Ricardo Valenzuela Rios 6 January 1994 Paolo Gillet 6 January 1994 Antoni Józef Długosz 6 January 1994 Bruno Musarò 6 January 1995 Petko Jordanov Christov 6 January 1995 Antonio Napoletano 6 January 1995 Zacharias Cenita Jimenez 6 January 1995 Raymond Leo Burke 6 January 1995 Pierfranco Pastore 6 January 1995 Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk 6 January 1995 Paweł Cieślik 6 January 1995 Stefan Regmunt 6 January 1995 José Paulino Ríos Reynoso 6 January 1996 Riccardo Fontana 6 January 1996 Claudio Maria Celli 6 January 1996 Jaime Vieira Rocha 6 January 1996 Kurt Koch 6 January 1996 Ārvaldis Andrejs Brumanis 6 January 1996 Antons Juts 6 January 1996 Francisco Pérez González 6 January 1996 Richard Anthony Burke 6 January 1996 Marko Sopi 6 January 1996 Rafael Ramón Conde Alfonzo 6 January 1996 Riccardo Ruotolo 6 January 1996 Antal Majnek 6 January 1996 Stanisław Ryłko 6 January 1996 Luigi Pezzuto 6 January 1997 Paolo Sardi 6 January 1997 Varkey Vithayathil 6 January 1997 Delio Lucarelli 6 January 1997 Ignace Baguibassa Sambar-Talkena 6 January 1997 Luciano Pacomio 6 January 1997 Angelo Massafra 6 January 1997 Florentin Crihălmeanu 6 January 1997 Jean-Claude Périsset 6 January 1997 Piotr Libera 6 January 1997 Basílio do Nascimento 6 January 1997 Hil Kabashi 6 January 1997 Mario Francesco Pompedda 6 January 1998 Marco Dino Brogi 6 January 1998 Peter Kwaku Atuahene 6 January 1998 Filippo Strofaldi 6 January 1998 Wiktor Paweł Skworc 6 January 1998 Franco Dalla Valle 6 January 1998 Angelito Lampon 6 January 1998 Tomislav Koljatic Maroevic 6 January 1998 Francesco Saverio Salerno 6 January 1998 James Michael Harvey 19 March 1998 Stanisław Dziwisz 19 March 1998 Piero Marini 19 March 1998 Alessandro D’Errico 6 January 1999 Salvatore Pennacchio 6 January 1999 Alain Paul Lebeaupin 6 January 1999 Cesare Mazzolari 6 January 1999 Pierre Trần Ðình Tứ 6 January 1999 Rafael Cob García 6 January 1999 Mathew Moolakkatt 6 January 1999 Diarmuid Martin 6 January 1999 José Luis Redrado Marchite 6 January 1999 Józef Wesołowski 6 January 2000 Giacomo Guido Ottonello 6 January 2000 George Panikulam 6 January 2000 Alberto Bottari de Castello 6 January 2000 Ivo Baldi Gaburri 6 January 2000 Gabriel Mbilingi 6 January 2000 David Laurin Ricken 6 January 2000 Anton Coșa 6 January 2000 András Veres 6 January 2000 Péter Erdő 6 January 2000 Giuseppe Pasotto 6 January 2000 Franco Croci 6 January 2000 Fernando Filoni 19 March 2001 Henryk Józef Nowacki 19 March 2001 Timothy Broglio 19 March 2001 Domenico Sorrentino 19 March 2001 Tomasz Peta 19 March 2001 Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo 19 March 2001 Marc Ouellet 19 March 2001 Giampaolo Crepaldi 19 March 2001 Đura Džudžar 19 March 2001 Giuseppe Pinto 6 January 2002 Claudio Gugerotti 6 January 2002 Adolfo Tito Yllana 6 January 2002 Giovanni d’Aniello 6 January 2002 Daniel Mizonzo 6 January 2002 Louis Portella Mbuyu 6 January 2002 Marcel Utembi Tapa 6 January 2002 Franco Agostinelli 6 January 2002 Amândio José Tomás 6 January 2002 Vittorio Lanzani 6 January 2002 Paul Tschang In-Nam 6 January 2003 Celestino Migliore 6 January 2003 Pierre Nguyên Van Tot 6 January 2003 Pedro López Quintana 6 January 2003 Angelo Amato 6 January 2003 Calogero La Piana 6 January 2003 René-Marie Ehouzou 6 January 2003 Ján Babjak 6 January 2003 Andraos Abouna 6 January 2003 Milan Šašik 6 January 2003 Giuseppe Nazzaro 6 January 2003 Brian Farrell 6 January 2003

Pope John Paul II [b] (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; [c] 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) served as the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He holds the distinction of being the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years, since Adrian VI in the 16th century. Furthermore, he ranks as the third-longest-serving pope in history, surpassed only by Pius IX and St. Peter . [d]

In his formative years, Wojtyła showed an interest in the performing arts, dabbling in stage acting. He graduated with exceptional academic results from an all-boys high school in Wadowice , Poland, in 1938. Shortly thereafter, the outbreak of World War II dramatically altered his life’s trajectory. To evade capture and forced labor in German forced labour camps , he volunteered for arduous work in a quarry. It was during this period that his passion for theater deepened, and he became actively involved in a local theater company. Wojtyła, a gifted linguist, harbored aspirations of studying Polish at university. A pivotal conversation with Adam Stefan Sapieha redirected his focus towards theology and the priesthood. His ecclesiastical journey saw him rise to the positions of Archbishop of Kraków and subsequently a cardinal , mirroring the career path of his mentor. Wojtyła was elected pope during the October 1978 papal conclave , making him one of the youngest pontiffs in history. This conclave was convened following the untimely death of John Paul I , who had served a mere 33 days as pope. Wojtyła chose his predecessor’s name as a tribute. [10]

John Paul II dedicated significant efforts to fostering improved relations between the Catholic Church and other major faiths, including Judaism , Islam , and the Eastern Orthodox Church , guided by the principles of ecumenism . He identified atheism as the most formidable threat to humanity. While he upheld the Church’s established doctrines on issues such as abortion, artificial contraception , the ordination of women , and clerical celibacy, he also championed the reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council , albeit with a generally conservative interpretation. [11] [12] His pontificate emphasized the importance of family and identity, while critically examining consumerism, hedonism, and the relentless pursuit of wealth. He distinguished himself as one of the most well-traveled world leaders, undertaking journeys to 129 countries during his pontificate . In alignment with his profound belief in the universal call to holiness , John Paul II beatified 1,344 individuals [List of people beatified by Pope John Paul II] and canonized 483 saints [List of saints canonized by Pope John Paul II], a remarkable figure that surpassed the combined total of his predecessors over the preceding five centuries. By the end of his papacy, he had appointed the majority of the College of Cardinals , consecrated or co-consecrated numerous bishops worldwide, and ordained a considerable number of priests. John Paul II passed away on April 2, 2005, and was succeeded by Benedict XVI .

John Paul II is widely credited with playing a crucial role in the struggle against dictatorships and in facilitating the end of communist rule in his native Poland and across Europe. [15] Under his leadership, the Catholic Church significantly expanded its influence in Africa and Latin America, while maintaining its strong presence in Europe and globally. He was declared venerable by Benedict XVI on December 19, 2009, and subsequently beatified on May 1, 2011, coinciding with Divine Mercy Sunday . On April 27, 2014, Pope Francis canonized John Paul II [Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II], alongside John XXIII . [16] He has, however, faced criticism regarding his handling of allegations of child sexual abuse by priests during his tenure as archbishop under Communist Poland , with some deeming his actions insufficiently stringent. [17] Following his canonization, some Catholics have referred to him as Pope St. John Paul the Great, although this title remains unofficial. [18]

During his pontificate, John Paul II oversaw the drafting and promulgation of two seminal documents in the modern Catholic Church: the 1983 Code of Canon Law , which served as a comprehensive revision and update of the 1917 Code of Canon Law , and the Catechism of the Catholic Church , the first universal catechism to be issued since the Roman Catechism .

Early life

• Main article: Early life of Pope John Paul II

The wedding portrait of John Paul II’s parents, Emilia and Karol Wojtyła Sr.

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in the Polish town of Wadowice . [19] [20] He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyła (1879–1941), an ethnic Pole , and Emilia Kaczorowska (1884–1929), who possessed distant Lithuanian ancestry. [21] Emilia, a schoolteacher, passed away from a heart attack and kidney failure in 1929 [22] when Wojtyła was eight years old. [23] His elder sister Olga had died before his birth, but he shared a close bond with his brother Edmund, nicknamed Mundek, who was 13 years his senior. Edmund’s career as a physician ultimately led to his death from scarlet fever , a loss that profoundly affected Wojtyła. [21] [23]

Wojtyła on the day of his first communion

Wojtyła underwent baptism a month after his birth, received his First Communion at the age of 9, and was confirmed at the age of 18. [24] As a youth, Wojtyła was notably athletic, frequently playing association football as a goalkeeper . [25] During his childhood, Wojtyła had significant interactions with the sizable Jewish community in Wadowice . [26] Football matches between Jewish and Catholic school teams were common, and Wojtyła often played on the Jewish team. [21] [25] He recalled in 2005: “I remember that at least a third of my classmates at elementary school in Wadowice were Jews. At secondary school there were fewer. With some I was on very friendly terms. And what struck me about some of them was their Polish patriotism.” [27] It was during this period that the young Karol experienced his first serious romantic relationship with a girl. He developed a close connection with a girl named Ginka Beer, described as “a Jewish beauty, with stupendous eyes and jet black hair, slender, a superb actress.” [28]

In mid-1938, Wojtyła and his father relocated from Wadowice to Kraków , where he enrolled at the Jagiellonian University . While pursuing studies in subjects such as philology and various languages, he volunteered as a librarian. Despite being required to participate in compulsory military training within the Academic Legion , he refused to handle firearms. He also engaged with various theatrical ensembles and worked as a playwright. [29] During this time, his linguistic talents flourished, enabling him to master as many as 15 languages – Polish, Latin , Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Luxembourgish , Dutch, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian , Czech , Slovak , and Esperanto , [30] nine of which he utilized extensively during his papacy.

In 1939, following Poland’s invasion, Nazi Germany ’s occupation forces shuttered the university. [19] As able-bodied males were mandated to work, Wojtyła held various positions from 1940 to 1944, including messenger for a restaurant, manual laborer in a limestone quarry, and employee at the Solvay chemical factory, all to avoid deportation to Germany. [20] [29] In February 1940, he encountered Jan Tyranowski , who introduced him to Carmelite spirituality and the “Living Rosary ” youth movement. [31] That same year, he experienced two significant accidents: he sustained a fractured skull after being struck by a tram and suffered injuries that resulted in one shoulder being higher than the other and a permanent stoop after being hit by a lorry in the quarry. [32] His father, a former Austro-Hungarian non-commissioned officer and later an officer in the Polish Army , died of a heart attack in 1941, [33] leaving the young Wojtyła an orphan and the sole surviving member of his immediate family. [21] [22] [34] Reflecting on these experiences years later, he stated, “I was not at my mother’s death, I was not at my brother’s death, I was not at my father’s death. At twenty, I had already lost all the people I loved.” [34]

Wojtyła (second from right) in a Baudienst forced labor work crew during the occupation of Poland (1939–1945) , c. 1941

Following his father’s passing, Wojtyła began to seriously contemplate the priesthood. [35] In October 1942, amidst the ongoing World War II , he sought entry into the Bishop’s Palace and expressed his desire to study for the priesthood. [35] Shortly thereafter, he commenced studies in the clandestine underground seminary overseen by the Archbishop of Kraków , the future Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha . [36] On February 29, 1944, Wojtyła was struck by a German truck. Wehrmacht officers provided him with medical attention and transported him to a hospital, where he recovered for two weeks from a severe concussion and a shoulder injury. He perceived this accident and his survival as a confirmation of his vocational calling. On August 6, 1944, known as “Black Sunday,” [37] the Gestapo conducted sweeps in Kraków to suppress the uprising there , [37] similar to the recent uprising in Warsaw . [38] [39] Wojtyła narrowly escaped by hiding in the basement of his uncle’s residence at 10 Tyniecka Street while German troops searched the premises. [35] [38] [39] Over 8,000 men and boys were apprehended that day, while Wojtyła found refuge at the Archbishop’s residence, [35] [37] [38] remaining there until the German forces departed. [21] [35] [38]

On the night of January 17, 1945, the Germans retreated from the city , and the seminarians reclaimed the damaged seminary . Wojtyła and another seminarian volunteered for the task of clearing frozen waste from the toilets. [40] Wojtyła also assisted a 14-year-old Jewish refugee girl named Edith Zierer, [41] who had escaped from a Nazi labour camp in Częstochowa . [41] Edith had collapsed on a railway platform, prompting Wojtyła to carry her onto a train and remain with her throughout the journey to Kraków. She later credited Wojtyła with saving her life that day. [42] [43] [44] B’nai B’rith and other authorities have stated that Wojtyła aided in protecting numerous Polish Jews from the Nazis. During the Nazi occupation of Poland , a Jewish family entrusted their son, Stanley Berger, to the care of a Gentile Polish family for hiding. Berger’s biological Jewish parents perished in the Holocaust , and after the war, his adoptive Christian parents requested Karol Wojtyła to baptize the boy. Wojtyła declined, asserting that the child should be raised in the Jewish faith of his birth parents and nation, not as a Catholic. [45] He made every effort to ensure Berger’s departure from Poland to be raised by his Jewish relatives in the United States. [46] In April 2005, shortly after John Paul II’s death, the Israeli government established a commission to honor his legacy. One of the proposed honors, suggested by Emmanuele Pacifici, head of Italy’s Jewish community, was the medal of the Righteous Among the Nations . [47] In Wojtyła’s final book, Memory and Identity , he characterized the 12 years of the Nazi regime as “bestiality,” [48] quoting the Polish theologian and philosopher [Konstanty Michalski]. [49]

Priesthood

Wojtyła (centre) in 1949

Wojtyła in 1958

Having completed his theological studies, Wojtyła was ordained a priest on All Saints’ Day , November 1, 1946, [22] by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, the Archbishop of Kraków. [20] [50] [51] Sapieha then dispatched Wojtyła to Rome’s Pontifical International Athenaeum Angelicum, which would later become the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas , to pursue studies under the guidance of the French Dominican friar Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange , commencing on November 26, 1946. During this period, he resided at the Belgian Pontifical College , under the rectorship of [Maximilien de Furstenberg]. [52] Wojtyła obtained a licence in July 1947, successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled Doctrina de fide apud S. Ioannem a Cruce (The Doctrine of Faith in St. John of the Cross ) in philosophy on June 19, 1948, after passing his doctoral examination on June 14, 1948. [53] The Angelicum maintains the original typed copy of Wojtyła’s dissertation. [54] Among his other academic pursuits at the Angelicum, Wojtyła studied Hebrew under the Dutch Dominican Peter G. Duncker, the author of Compendium grammaticae linguae hebraicae biblicae. [55]

The Pontifical International Athenaeum Angelicum in Rome, Italy

According to Wojtyła’s fellow student, the future Austrian cardinal Alfons Stickler , Wojtyła visited Padre Pio in 1947 during his time in Rome. Padre Pio reportedly heard his confession and predicted that he would one day ascend to “the highest post in the Church.” [56] Stickler added that Wojtyła interpreted this prophecy as fulfilled upon his elevation to the cardinalate. [57]

Upon his return to Poland in the summer of 1948, Wojtyła embarked on his initial pastoral assignment in the village of Niegowić , situated 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Kraków, at the Church of the Assumption. His arrival in Niegowić coincided with the harvest season, and his first act was to kneel and kiss the ground. [58] This gesture, which he adopted from John Vianney , [58] he repeated throughout his papacy.

In March 1949, Wojtyła was transferred to the parish of Saint Florian in Kraków. He lectured on ethics at Jagiellonian University and subsequently at the Catholic University of Lublin . While teaching, he gathered a group of approximately 20 young individuals who began to refer to themselves as Rodzinka, meaning “little family.” They convened for prayer, philosophical discussions, and to assist the blind and the infirm. The group eventually expanded to around 200 participants, broadening their activities to include annual skiing and kayaking excursions. [59]

In 1953, Wojtyła’s habilitation thesis was accepted by the Faculty of Theology at Jagiellonian University. In 1954, he earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology , [60] authoring a dissertation titled “Reevaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler ” [61] (Ocena możliwości zbudowania etyki chrześcijańskiej przy założeniach systemu Maksa Schelera in Polish). [62] Scheler was a German philosopher who founded a significant philosophical movement emphasizing the study of conscious experience. The Polish Communist authorities subsequently abolished the Faculty of Theology at Jagiellonian University, thus preventing him from receiving the degree until 1957. [51] Wojtyła developed a theological framework, termed phenomenological Thomism , which integrated traditional Catholic Thomism with the concepts of personalism , a philosophical approach rooted in phenomenology that held considerable popularity among Catholic intellectuals in Kraków during Wojtyła’s formative years. He translated Scheler’s Formalism and the Ethics of Substantive Values. [63] In 1961, he coined the term “Thomistic Personalism” to characterize Aquinas’s philosophy. [64]

Wojtyła pictured during a kayaking trip with students, c. 1960

During this period, Wojtyła contributed a series of articles to Kraków’s Catholic newspaper, Tygodnik Powszechny (Universal Weekly), addressing contemporary ecclesiastical matters. [65] He focused on producing original literary work during his initial decade as a priest. The experiences of war, life within the Polish People’s Republic , and his pastoral duties all informed his poetry and plays. Wojtyła published his writings under two pseudonyms, Andrzej Jawień and Stanisław Andrzej Gruda, [29] [65] to differentiate his literary endeavors from his religious writings (published under his own name) and to ensure his literary works were evaluated on their own merits. [29] [65] In 1960, Wojtyła published the influential theological work Love and Responsibility (Love and Responsibility ), a defense of traditional church teachings on marriage presented from a novel philosophical perspective. [29] [66]

The students mentioned earlier frequently joined Wojtyła for hiking, skiing, cycling, camping, and kayaking, activities complemented by prayer, outdoor Masses, and theological discussions. In Stalinist-era Poland, priests were prohibited from traveling with student groups. Wojtyła requested his younger companions to address him as “Wujek” (Polish for “Uncle”) to prevent outsiders from identifying him as a priest. This affectionate nickname gained widespread popularity among his followers. In 1958, upon Wojtyła’s appointment as auxiliary bishop of Kraków, acquaintances expressed concern that this promotion would alter his demeanor. Wojtyła reassured his friends, stating, “Wujek will remain Wujek,” and continued to lead a modest life, eschewing the ostentatious symbols of his episcopal office. This beloved moniker remained with Wojtyła throughout his life and is still affectionately used, particularly by the Polish populace. [67] [68]

Episcopate and cardinalate

Call to the episcopate

19 Kanonicza Street in Kraków , Poland, where John Paul II resided as a priest and bishop (now an Archdiocese Museum )

On July 4, 1958, [51] while Wojtyła was on a kayaking holiday in northern Poland’s lake district, Pope Pius XII appointed him as an auxiliary bishop of Kraków. He was subsequently summoned to Warsaw to meet with Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński , the Primate of Poland, who informed him of his appointment. [69] [70] Wojtyła accepted the nomination as auxiliary bishop to Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak of Kraków, and he received episcopal consecration (as titular bishop of Ombi ) on September 28, 1958. The principal consecrator was Baziak, with Bishops Bolesław Kominek (titular bishop of Sophene ), auxiliary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław , and Franciszek Jop , Auxiliary Bishop of Sandomierz (Titular Bishop of Daulia ), serving as co-consecrators. Kominek later became Cardinal Archbishop of Wrocław, and Jop was subsequently appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Wrocław and later Bishop of Opole . [51] At the age of 38, Wojtyła became the youngest bishop in Poland.

In 1959, Wojtyła initiated an annual tradition of celebrating Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in an open field at Nowa Huta , a district outside Kraków designated as a model workers’ town, which notably lacked a church building. [71] Archbishop Baziak passed away in June 1962, and on July 16, Wojtyła was elected Vicar Capitular (temporary administrator) of the Archdiocese pending the appointment of a new archbishop . [19] [20]

Participation in Vatican II and subsequent events

From October 1962 onwards, Wojtyła actively participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), [19] [51] where he made significant contributions to two of its most historically impactful documents: the Decree on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis humanae) Dignitatis humanae and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes). [51] Wojtyła, along with the Polish bishops, submitted a draft text for Gaudium et spes to the Council. According to Jesuit historian John W. O’Malley , the draft submitted by Wojtyła and the Polish delegation “had some influence on the version that was sent to the council fathers that summer but was not accepted as the base text.” [72] John F. Crosby notes that as pope, John Paul II later employed the language of Gaudium et spes to articulate his own perspectives on the nature of the human person in relation to God, stating that humanity is “the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own sake,” and that man “can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself.” [73]

Wojtyła also participated in the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. [19] [20] On January 13, 1964, Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Kraków . [74] On June 26, 1967, Paul VI announced Wojtyła’s elevation to the College of Cardinals . [51] [74] Wojtyła was named cardinal priest of the titular church of San Cesareo in Palatio .

Pope Paul VI bestows the cardinal biretta upon Wojtyła in 1967

In 1967, he played a key role in the formulation of the encyclical Humanae vitae (Humanae vitae ), which addressed issues concerning the prohibition of abortion and artificial birth control . [51] [75] [76]

A contemporary witness reported that Wojtyła opposed the circulation of a letter in Kraków in 1970, which suggested that the Polish Episcopate was preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Polish–Soviet War . [77]

In 1973, Wojtyła established a friendship with Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka , a Polish-born philosopher and the wife of Hendrik S. Houthakker , a professor of economics at Stanford University and Harvard University , and a member of President Richard Nixon ’s Council of Economic Advisers . [78] [79] [80] Tymieniecka collaborated with Wojtyła on several projects, including an English translation of Wojtyła’s book Osoba i czyn (Person and Act). Person and Act, considered one of John Paul II’s most significant literary contributions, was originally written in Polish. [79] Tymieniecka produced the English-language version. [79] They maintained correspondence over the years and developed a close friendship. [79] [81] During Wojtyła’s visit to New England in the summer of 1976, Tymieniecka hosted him at her family home. [79] [81] Wojtyła enjoyed his vacation in Pomfret, Vermont , engaging in activities like kayaking and appreciating the outdoors, reminiscent of his beloved Poland. [79] [70]

Between 1974 and 1975, Wojtyła served Pope Paul VI as a consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Laity , functioned as the recording secretary for the 1974 synod on evangelization, and actively participated in the initial drafting of the 1975 apostolic exhortation , Evangelii nuntiandi. [82]

Papacy

Election

• Main article: October 1978 papal conclave

First appearance of Pope John Paul II following his election on 16 October 1978

In August 1978, following the death of Pope Paul VI, Wojtyła participated in the papal conclave , which elected John Paul I . John Paul I’s pontificate lasted only 33 days before his death, necessitating another [conclave]. [20] [51] [83]

The second conclave of 1978 commenced on October 14, ten days after the funeral. It was characterized by a division between two prominent contenders for the papacy: Cardinal Giuseppe Siri , the conservative Archbishop of Genoa , and Cardinal Giovanni Benelli , the liberal Archbishop of Florence and a close confidant of John Paul I. [84]

The coat of arms of John Paul II, featuring the Marian Cross with the letter M symbolizing the Blessed Virgin Mary , the mother of Jesus

Supporters of Benelli anticipated his election, and in the early ballots , Benelli came within nine votes of success. [84] However, both candidates faced significant opposition, making it unlikely for either to prevail. Cardinal Franz König , Archbishop of Vienna , proposed Wojtyła as a compromise candidate to his fellow electors. [84] Wojtyła secured the papacy on the eighth ballot on the third day of the conclave (October 16).

Among the cardinals who supported Wojtyła were proponents of Giuseppe Siri, Stefan Wyszyński , the majority of the American cardinals (led by John Krol ), and other moderate cardinals. He accepted his election with the 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.” [86] [87] In honor of his immediate predecessor, the new Pope adopted the papal name John Paul II, [51] [84] also in homage to the late Popes Paul VI and John XXIII. The announcement of a new pope was signaled by the traditional white smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel, informing the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square . Rumors circulated that the new pontiff initially wished to be known as Pope Stanislaus, in honor of the Polish saint of that name , but was persuaded by the cardinals that it was not a Roman name. [83] Upon his appearance on the balcony, the new pontiff broke with tradition by addressing the assembled crowd: [86]

“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 of Rome. They called him from a faraway land—far and yet always close because of our communion in faith and Christian traditions. I was afraid 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 am speaking to you in your—no, our Italian language. If I make a mistake, please correct me [sic]. [e] [86] [88] [89] [90]

Wojtyła became the 264th pope according to the chronological list of popes and the first non-Italian pontiff in 455 years. [91] At the age of 58, he was the youngest pope since Pope Pius IX , who was 54 years old at his election in 1846. [51] Following the precedent set by his predecessor, John Paul II dispensed with the traditional papal coronation and instead received a simplified papal inauguration on October 22, 1978. During his inauguration , when cardinals were to kneel and take their vows, he stood as Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński of Poland knelt, preventing the kiss of the ring and embracing him instead. [92]

Pastoral journeys

• Main article: List of pastoral visits of Pope John Paul II outside Italy

John Paul’s first papal trip to Poland in June 1979

Throughout his pontificate, John Paul II undertook extensive travels, visiting 129 countries [93] and covering a distance exceeding 1,100,000 kilometers (680,000 miles). His visits consistently drew immense crowds, often numbering among the largest gatherings in human history . A notable example is the World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, which attracted an estimated four million participants, reportedly the largest papal gathering ever recorded by the Vatican. [94] [95] John Paul II’s initial official papal journeys were to the Dominican Republic and Mexico in January 1979. [96] While some of his travels, such as those to the United States and the Holy Land , followed routes previously taken by Pope Paul VI, John Paul II made history as the first pope to visit the White House in October 1979, where he received a cordial welcome from President Jimmy Carter . He was also the first pope to visit multiple countries within a single year, commencing this practice in 1979 with visits to Mexico [97] and Ireland . [98] In 1982, he became the first reigning pope to travel to the United Kingdom , where he met Queen Elizabeth II , the Supreme Governor of the Church of England . During his UK visit, he also visited Canterbury Cathedral , kneeling in prayer with Robert Runcie , the Archbishop of Canterbury , at the site of Thomas Becket ’s martyrdom. [99] Additionally, he presided over several large-scale open-air Masses, including one at Wembley Stadium , which drew an audience of approximately 80,000 people. [100]

John Paul II with Sandro Pertini , President of Italy , in 1984

His visit to Haiti in 1983 saw him address thousands of impoverished Catholics in Creole at the airport. His message, asserting that “things must change in Haiti” in reference to the stark economic disparities, was met with resounding applause. [101] In 2000, he became the first modern pope to visit Egypt, [102] where he met with the Coptic Pope , Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria , [102] and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria . [102] He was the first Catholic pontiff to enter and pray within an Islamic mosque, specifically the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus , Syria, in 2001. There, he delivered a speech calling for peaceful coexistence among Muslims, Christians, and Jews. [103]

On January 15, 1995, during the X World Youth Day, he celebrated Mass for an estimated crowd of five to seven million people in Luneta Park , [104] Manila , Philippines. This event is considered the largest gathering in Christian history . [95] In March 2000, during his visit to Jerusalem , John Paul became the first pope in history to visit and pray at the Western Wall . [104] [105] Amidst the heightened security concerns following the September 11 attacks , he traveled to Kazakhstan and Armenia in September 2001, participating in events marking 1,700 years of Armenian Christianity . [106]

In June 1979, John Paul II’s visit to Poland was marked by an overwhelming and enthusiastic reception from ecstatic crowds. [107] This initial papal pilgrimage to Poland and the fervent response it generated are credited with contributing to the formation of the Solidarity movement in 1980, which subsequently played a pivotal role in the fall of communism in Poland. [75] The leadership of the Polish United Workers’ Party had intended to leverage the Pope’s visit to demonstrate their authority and control, while also hoping his adherence to their imposed regulations would influence the Polish populace. They were prepared to suppress any dissent or unrest, attributing any resulting violence to the Pope. [108]

The Pope’s victory lay in his transcendence of political structures, employing what Joseph Nye termed ‘soft power ’—the influence of attraction. He began with a significant advantage, which he maximized: he led an institution that stood in stark opposition to the Communist ideology that the Polish people detested. As a Pole, he operated beyond the regime’s control. By aligning with him, Poles found an avenue to shed the compromises necessitated by life under the regime. Consequently, millions flocked to him, listening intently. He urged them towards goodness, integrity, mutual support, and fearlessness, emphasizing God as the sole source of virtue and moral guidance. His powerful message, “Be not afraid,” was met with the resounding cry from the masses, “We want God! We want God! We want God!” The regime found itself intimidated. Had the Pope chosen to escalate his soft power into forceful action, the regime might have faced a bloody confrontation. Instead, he guided the Polish people to disengage from their rulers by fostering solidarity amongst themselves. The Communists managed to retain their autocratic rule for another decade, but their political authority was irrevocably diminished. Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to his native Poland delivered a critical blow to its Communist regime, the Soviet Empire, and ultimately to Communism itself. [108]

“When Pope John Paul II kissed the ground at the Warsaw airport he began the process by which Communism in Poland — and ultimately elsewhere in Europe — would come to an end.” [109]

During subsequent visits to Poland, he offered implicit support to the Solidarity organization. [75] These visits reinforced this message, contributing to the collapse of East European Communism between 1989 and 1990, which heralded the reintroduction of democracy in Poland and subsequently spread throughout Eastern Europe (1990–1991) and Southeastern Europe (1990–1992). [89] [93] [107] [110] [111]

World Youth Days

Pope John Paul II (right), alongside Jaime Cardinal Sin , Archbishop of Manila (left), addresses the crowd at the closing Mass of the tenth World Youth Day in Luneta Park , 1995

Building upon his successful engagement with young people as a young priest, John Paul II pioneered the international World Youth Days . He presided over nine of these events: Rome (1985 and 2000), Buenos Aires (1987), Santiago de Compostela (1989), Częstochowa (1991), Denver (1993), Manila (1995), Paris (1997), and Toronto (2002). The cumulative attendance at these significant events of his pontificate reached tens of millions. [112]

Dedicated years

With a keen awareness of the passage of time and the importance of anniversaries in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, John Paul II designated nine “dedicated years” during his pontificate of over twenty-six years: the Holy Year of the Redemption in 1983–84, the Marian Year in 1987–88, the Year of the Family in 1993–94, the three Trinitarian years in preparation for the Great Jubilee of 2000, the Great Jubilee itself, the Year of the Rosary in 2002–03, and the Year of the Eucharist , which commenced on October 17, 2004, and concluded six months after the Pope’s death. [112]

Music albums

John Paul II recorded several music albums. In 1979, his album Pope John Paul II sings at the Festival of Sacrosong was released by Infinity Records . [113] [114] In 1994, he released a music album titled The Rosary. [115] In 1999, John Paul II released another album, Abba Pater . [116]

Great Jubilee of 2000

The Great Jubilee of 2000 served as a call for the Church to deepen its awareness and embrace its missionary mandate for the work of evangelization :

“From the beginning of my Pontificate, my thoughts had been on this Holy Year 2000 as an important appointment. I thought of its celebration as a providential opportunity during which the Church, thirty-five years after the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, would examine how far she had renewed herself, in order to be able to take up her evangelising mission with fresh enthusiasm.” [117]

John Paul II also undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for the Great Jubilee of 2000. [118] During his visit, he visited numerous significant sites associated with the Rosary , including Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas) on the Jordan River , where John the Baptist is believed to have baptized Jesus; Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem , the traditional site of Jesus’ birth; and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem , revered as the location of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. [119] [120] [121]

Teachings

• Main article: Theology of Pope John Paul II

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As pope, John Paul II authored 14 papal encyclicals and consistently delivered teachings during his general audiences . [122]

Key elements of his strategy to “reposition the Catholic Church” included encyclicals such as Ecclesia de Eucharistia (Ecclesia de Eucharistia ), Reconciliatio et paenitentia (Reconciliatio_et_paenitentia ), and Redemptoris Mater (Redemptoris_Mater ). In his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (Novo_Millennio_Ineunte ), he underscored the significance of “starting afresh from Christ,” stating, “No, we shall not be saved by a formula but by a Person.” In Veritatis Splendor (Veritatis_Splendor ), he emphasized humanity’s dependence on God and His Law (“Without the Creator, the creature disappears”) and the intrinsic link between freedom and truth. He cautioned that individuals “giving themselves over to relativism and scepticism, go off in search of an illusory freedom apart from truth itself.” Through Fides et Ratio (Fides_et_Ratio ) (On the Relationship between Faith and Reason), John Paul promoted a renewed interest in philosophy and the autonomous pursuit of truth in theological matters. Drawing upon diverse sources, including Thomism, he elucidated the mutually reinforcing relationship between faith and reason and stressed the importance for theologians to focus on this connection. John Paul II extensively wrote about workers and the social doctrine of the Church, addressing these themes in three encyclicals: Laborem Exercens (Laborem_exercens ), Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Sollicitudo_rei_socialis ), and Centesimus Annus (Centesimus_annus ). Through his encyclicals and numerous Apostolic Letters and Exhortations, John Paul II spoke about the dignity and equality of women. [123] He championed the importance of the family for the future of humanity. [75] His teachings on sexuality are collectively known as the “Theology of the Body ”. Other notable encyclicals include Evangelium Vitae (Evangelium_Vitae ) and Ut Unum Sint (Ut_unum_sint ) (That They May Be One). While critics accused him of inflexibility in reaffirming Catholic moral teachings against abortion and euthanasia , which had been established for over a millennium, he advocated for a more nuanced perspective on capital punishment . [75] In his second encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Dives_in_misericordia ), he highlighted divine mercy as God’s greatest attribute, particularly essential in contemporary times.

Promulgation of 1983 Code of Canon Law and 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church

• Main article: Canon law (Catholic Church)

John Paul II completed a comprehensive reform of the Catholic Church’s legal framework, encompassing both Latin and Eastern rites, as well as reforms within the Roman Curia.

On October 18, 1990, while promulgating the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches , John Paul II stated:

• “By the publication of this Code, the canonical ordering of the whole Church is thus at length completed, following as it does…the ‘Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia’ of 1988, which is added to both Codes as the primary instrument of the Roman Pontiff for ’the communion that binds together, as it were, the whole Church’.” [124]

In 1998, John Paul II issued the motu proprio Ad Tuendam Fidem (Ad_tuendam_fidem ), which amended two canons (750 and 1371) of the 1983 Code of Canon Law and two canons (598 and 1436) of the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

1983 Code of Canon Law

• Main article: 1983 Code of Canon Law

On January 25, 1983, through the apostolic constitution Sacrae Disciplinae Leges (Sacrae_disciplinae_leges ), John Paul II promulgated the current code of canon law for all members of the Catholic Church belonging to the Latin Church . It came into effect on the first Sunday of the subsequent Advent , [125] which was November 27, 1983. [126] John Paul II referred to the new code as “the last document of Vatican II.” [125] Edward N. Peters has termed the 1983 Code the “Johanno-Pauline Code” [127] (referring to Johannes Paulus in Latin ), drawing a parallel to the “Pio-Benedictine” 1917 code that it superseded.

Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches

• Main article: Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches

John Paul II promulgated the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) on October 18, 1990, via the document Sacri Canones. [128] The CCEO became effective law on October 1, 1991. [129] It represents the codification of the common sections of the canon law for the 23 of the 24 sui iuris churches within the [Catholic Church] that constitute the Eastern Catholic Churches . The CCEO is structured into 30 titles and comprises a total of 1540 canons . [130]

Pastor Bonus

• Main article: Pastor bonus

John Paul II promulgated the apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus (Pastor_bonus ) on June 28, 1988. This document instituted several reforms concerning the administration of the Roman Curia . Pastor Bonus provided a detailed organizational framework for the Roman Curia, specifying the names and compositions of each dicastery and outlining the competencies of each dicastery . It superseded the previous specific legislation, Regimini Ecclesiae Universae, issued by Paul VI in 1967. [131]

Catechism of the Catholic Church

• Main article: Catechism of the Catholic Church

On October 11, 1992, in his apostolic constitution Fidei Depositum (Fidei_depositum ) (The Deposit of Faith), John Paul ordered the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church . [132] [133]

He declared its publication to be “a sure norm for teaching the faith… a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms.” He further stated that it was “meant to encourage and assist in the writing of new local catechisms [both applicable and faithful]” rather than to replace them. [134]

Political views and activity

• Main article: Pope John Paul II’s political views

Anti-communism

• Main article: Holy See–Soviet Union relations

US President Ronald Reagan meets with Pope John Paul II during a visit to the Vatican City , 1982

Role as spiritual inspiration and catalyst

By the late 1970s, the dissolution of the Soviet Union had been predicted by some observers . [135] [136] John Paul II is credited with playing an instrumental role in the downfall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe, [75] [89] [93] [110] [111] [137] serving as both a spiritual inspiration and a catalyst for “a peaceful revolution” in Poland. Lech Wałęsa , the founder of Solidarity and the first post-Communist President of Poland , attributed the courage of the Polish people to demand change to John Paul II. [75] According to Wałęsa, “Before his pontificate, the world was divided into blocs. Nobody knew how to get rid of Communism. In Warsaw , in 1979, he simply said: ‘Do not be afraid’, and later prayed: ‘Let your Spirit descend and change the image of the land … this land’.” [137] It has also been widely alleged that the Vatican Bank covertly provided funding for Solidarity. [138] [139]

In 1984, the foreign policy of the Ronald Reagan administration led to the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Vatican for the first time since 1870 . Unlike previous attempts, this initiative faced minimal opposition from Congress, the courts, and Protestant groups. [140] Reagan and John Paul II shared a close relationship, largely due to their mutual anti-communism and their shared desire to see Soviet influence removed from Poland. [141] Correspondence between Reagan and the Pope reveals their shared conviction that “God had spared their lives” from assassination attempts “for the divine purpose of defeating the communist empire.” [142] Reagan’s papers indicate “a continuous scurrying to shore up Vatican support for U.S. policies. Perhaps most surprisingly, the papers show that, as late as 1984, the Pope did not believe the Communist Polish government could be changed.” [143]

“No one can prove conclusively that he was a primary cause of the end of communism. However, the major figures on all sides—not just Lech Wałęsa, the Polish Solidarity leader, but also Solidarity’s arch-opponent, General Wojciech Jaruzelski ; not just the former American president George Bush Senior but also the former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev—now agree that he was. I would argue the historical case in three steps: without the Polish Pope, no Solidarity revolution in Poland in 1980; without Solidarity, no dramatic change in Soviet policy towards eastern Europe under Gorbachev; without that change, no velvet revolutions in 1989.” [144]

In December 1989, John Paul II met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Vatican, and both expressed mutual respect and admiration. Gorbachev famously stated, “The collapse of the Iron Curtain would have been impossible without John Paul II.” [89] [110] Upon John Paul II’s death, Gorbachev remarked, “Pope John Paul II’s devotion to his followers is a remarkable example to all of us.” [111] [137]

Pope John Paul II receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President George W. Bush in 2004

On June 4, 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the United States’ highest civilian honor, to John Paul II during a ceremony at the Apostolic Palace . President Bush read the accompanying citation, which recognized “this son of Poland” whose “principled stand for peace and freedom has inspired millions and helped to topple communism and tyranny.” [145] Following the award ceremony, John Paul II stated, “May the desire for freedom, peace, a more humane world symbolized by this medal inspire men and women of goodwill in every time and place.” [146]

Communist attempt to compromise John Paul II

Graffiti depicting John Paul II with the quote “Do not be afraid” in Rijeka , Croatia

In 1983, Poland’s Communist government made an unsuccessful attempt to discredit John Paul II by falsely alleging he had fathered an illegitimate child. Section D of Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB), the security service, initiated an operation named “Triangolo” to carry out clandestine activities against the Catholic Church in Poland ; this operation encompassed all hostile actions undertaken by the Polish state against the Pope. [147] [better source needed] Captain Grzegorz Piotrowski, implicated in the murder of the beatified Jerzy Popiełuszko , led Section D. They drugged Irena Kinaszewska, the secretary of the Kraków-based weekly Catholic magazine Tygodnik Powszechny , where Wojtyła had previously worked, and attempted to coerce her into confessing to a sexual relationship with him, an effort that ultimately failed. [148]

The SB then attempted to compromise Kraków priest Andrzej Bardecki, an editor at Tygodnik Powszechny and a close friend of Cardinal Wojtyła before his papacy, by planting fabricated memoirs in his residence. Piotrowski was exposed, and the forged documents were discovered and destroyed before the SB could claim their discovery. [148]

Latin American and Caribbean dictatorships

John Paul II received varied recognition [149] and criticism [150] for actions perceived as both inspiring resistance [151] and potentially complicit with [152] dictatorships in Chile , Haiti , and Paraguay .

Relations with other Christian denominations and religions

• Main articles: Pope John Paul II and ecumenism and Pope John Paul II’s relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church

Christian denominations

John Paul II was publicly committed to improving relationships between Christian communities and engaged in numerous dialogues with leaders of other Christian churches, including the Eastern Orthodox Church , [153] the Oriental Orthodox Church , [154] the Assyrian Church of the East , [155] the Lutheran World Federation , [156] and the Anglican Communion . [157]

Religions

Judaism

• Main article: Pope John Paul II and Judaism

Relations between Catholicism and Judaism saw significant improvement during the pontificate of John Paul II. [75] [105] He frequently addressed the Catholic Church’s relationship with the Jewish faith. [75]

Animism

In his book-length interview Crossing the Threshold of Hope (Crossing_the_Threshold_of_Hope ), published in 1995 and conducted with Italian journalist Vittorio Messori , John Paul II drew parallels between animism and Christianity. He wrote:

“… it would be helpful to recall… the animist religions which stress ancestor worship. It seems that those who practise them are particularly close to Christianity, and among them, the Church’s missionaries also find it easier to speak a common language. Is there, perhaps, in this veneration of ancestors a kind of preparation for the Christian faith in the Communion of Saints, in which all believers—whether living or dead—form a single community, a single body? … There is nothing strange, then, that the African and Asian animists would become believers in Christ more easily than followers of the great religions of the Far East.” [158]

In 1985, the Pope visited Togo, an African nation where 60 percent of the population adheres to animist beliefs. To honor the Pope, animist religious leaders met him at a Catholic Marian shrine in the forest, a gesture that pleased the pontiff. John Paul II subsequently advocated for religious tolerance, praised nature, and highlighted commonalities between animism and Christianity, stating:

“Nature, exuberant and splendid in this area of forests and lakes, impregnates spirits and hearts with its mystery and orients them spontaneously toward the mystery of He who is the author of life. It is this religious sentiment that animates you and one can say that animates all of your compatriots.” [159]

During the investiture of President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin as a titled Yoruba chieftain on December 20, 2008, the reigning Ooni of Ife , Nigeria, Olubuse II , referred to John Paul II as a previous recipient of the same royal honor. [160]

Buddhism

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama , met with John Paul II on eight occasions. The two leaders shared numerous common views and understood similar struggles, both hailing from nations impacted by Communism and both leading major religious organizations. [161] [162] As Archbishop of Kraków, long before the 14th Dalai Lama gained international prominence, Wojtyła led special Masses to pray for the Tibetan people’s non-violent resistance against Maoist China . [163] In 1987, he welcomed participants of the East-West Spiritual Exchanges, an initiative by the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIMMID) and the Institute for Zen Studies, which involved Buddhist and Christian monks or nuns residing in each other’s monasteries for month-long periods. [164] [165] During his 1995 visit to Sri Lanka , a country where Theravada Buddhism is the majority religion, John Paul II expressed his admiration for Buddhism. He stated:

“In particular I express my highest regard for the followers of Buddhism, the majority religion in Sri Lanka, with its… four great values of… loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity; with its ten transcendental virtues and the joys of the Sangha expressed so beautifully in the Theragathas. I ardently hope that my visit will serve to strengthen the goodwill between us, and that it will reassure everyone of the Catholic Church’s desire for interreligious dialogue and cooperation in building a more just and fraternal world. To everyone I extend the hand of friendship, recalling the splendid words of the Dhammapada : ‘Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace’…” [166]

Islam

John Paul II was the first Pope to enter and pray in a mosque, visiting the tomb of John the Baptist at the Umayyad Mosque .

John Paul II made significant efforts to improve relations between Catholicism and Islam. [167]

He officially supported the project for the Mosque of Rome and participated in its inauguration in 1995.

On May 14, 1999, during a meeting with Muslim leaders in Syria, he was presented with and subsequently kissed a Qur’an , an act that generated controversy among some Catholics. [168] [169]

On May 6, 2001, he became the first Catholic pope to enter and pray within a mosque, specifically the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus , Syria. After respectfully removing his shoes, he entered the former Byzantine-era Christian church dedicated to John the Baptist , who is also revered as a prophet of Islam . He delivered a speech that included the statement: “For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness.” [103]

In 2004, John Paul II hosted the “Papal Concert of Reconciliation ,” which brought together leaders from Islam, the Jewish community, and the Catholic Church at the Vatican for a concert featuring the Kraków Philharmonic Choir from Poland, the London Philharmonic Choir from the United Kingdom, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from the United States, and the Ankara State Polyphonic Choir of Turkey. [170] [171] [172] [173] The event was conceived and conducted by Gilbert Levine , KCSG , and was broadcast globally. [170] [171] [172] [173]

John Paul II oversaw the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church , which includes a specific provision regarding Muslims, stating, “together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.” [174]

Jainism

In 1995, John Paul II met with 21 Jains , an event organized by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue . He lauded Mohandas Gandhi for his “unshakeable faith in God,” assured the Jain delegation of the Catholic Church’s commitment to continued dialogue with their religion, and spoke of their shared responsibility to assist the poor. The Jain leaders expressed admiration for the Pope’s “transparency and simplicity,” and the meeting garnered considerable attention in the Gujarat state of western India, a region with a significant Jain population. [175]

Assassination attempts and plots

• Main articles: Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II , Juan María Fernández y Krohn , and Bojinka Plot

As he entered St. Peter’s Square to address an audience on May 13, 1981, [176] John Paul II was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca , [19] [93] [177] a Turkish gunman and member of the militant fascist organization Grey Wolves . [178] The assassin utilized a Browning 9 mm semi-automatic pistol , [179] firing shots that struck the Pope in the abdomen, causing multiple perforations to his colon and [small intestine]. [89] John Paul II was rushed to the Vatican and subsequently to Gemelli Hospital . He lost consciousness during transport. Despite the bullets missing his superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta , he experienced a near-total blood loss. He underwent five hours of surgery to treat his injuries. [180] Surgeons performed a [colostomy], Colostomy temporarily diverting the upper portion of the [large intestine] to allow the damaged lower section to heal. [180] Upon regaining consciousness before surgery, he instructed the medical team not to remove his Brown Scapular during the procedure. [181] Among the few individuals permitted to visit him at the Gemelli Clinic was his close friend, philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka , who stayed with him during his recovery from the emergency surgery. [80] The Pope later attributed his survival to the intercession of the [Blessed Virgin Mary]. [93] [177] [182] He stated:

“Could I forget that the event in St. Peter’s Square took place on the day and at the hour when the first appearance of the Mother of Christ to the poor little peasants has been remembered for over sixty years at Fátima, Portugal ? For in everything that happened to me on that very day, I felt that extraordinary motherly protection and care, which turned out to be stronger than the deadly bullet.” [183]

Ağca was apprehended by bystanders, including a nun, and restrained until law enforcement arrived. He received a sentence of life imprisonment . Two days after Christmas in 1983, John Paul II visited Ağca in prison. Their conversation lasted approximately twenty minutes. [93] [177] John Paul II commented, “What we talked about will have to remain a secret between him and me. I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust.” [184]

Numerous theories, some controversial, emerged to explain the assassination attempt. One such theory, proposed by Michael Ledeen and heavily promoted by the United States Central Intelligence Agency at the time, suggested Soviet involvement in retaliation for the Pope’s support of Solidarity, the Catholic, pro-democratic Polish workers’ movement, although this theory lacked substantiation. [178] [185] The 2006 Mitrokhin Commission , established by Silvio Berlusconi and chaired by Forza Italia senator Paolo Guzzanti , supported this theory, alleging that Bulgarian security departments were used to conceal Soviet complicity, concluding that Soviet military intelligence (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel’noye Upravleniye) was responsible, not the KGB . [185] Boris Labusov, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service , dismissed the accusation as “absurd.” [185] During a visit to Bulgaria in May 2002, the Pope stated that the country’s Soviet-era leadership had no connection to the [assassination attempt]. [178] [185] However, his secretary, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz , claimed in his book A Life with Karol that the Pope privately believed the former Soviet Union was behind the attack. [186] It was later revealed that several of John Paul II’s aides had foreign government affiliations. [187] Bulgaria and Russia contested the Italian commission’s findings, noting the Pope’s public denial of Bulgarian involvement. [185]

A second assassination attempt occurred on May 12, 1982, the day before the anniversary of the first attempt, in Fátima, Portugal , when an individual attempted to stab John Paul II with a [bayonet]. [188] [189] [190] Security guards intervened and apprehended the assailant. Stanisław Dziwisz later stated that John Paul II sustained an injury during the attempt but managed to conceal a non-life-threatening wound. [188] [189] [190] The attacker, Juan María Fernández y Krohn , a traditionalist Catholic Spanish priest [188] ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre of the Society of St. Pius X (1970), opposed the reforms of the Second Vatican Council , alleging the Pope was an agent of Communist Moscow and the Marxist Eastern Bloc . [191] Fernández y Krohn later left the priesthood and served three years of a six-year sentence. [189] [190] [191] The former priest received treatment for mental illness and was subsequently expelled from Portugal to practice as a solicitor in Belgium. [191]

The [Bojinka plot], funded by Al-Qaeda , aimed to assassinate John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines for the 1995 World Youth Day celebrations. On January 15, 1995, a suicide bomber was intended to pose as a priest and detonate a bomb as the Pope’s motorcade passed en route to San Carlos Seminary in Makati . This assassination was meant to divert attention from the subsequent phase of the operation. However, a chemical fire inadvertently started by the cell alerted the police to their location, leading to their arrest a week prior to the Pope’s visit, and they confessed to the plot. [192]

In 2009, Jack Koehler , a journalist and former army intelligence officer, published Spies in the Vatican: The Soviet Union’s Cold War Against the Catholic Church. [193] Drawing primarily from East German and Polish secret police archives, Koehler asserted that the assassination attempts were “KGB-backed.” [194]

Apologies

• Main article: Apologies by Pope John Paul II

John Paul II extended apologies to numerous groups who had experienced grievances at the hands of the Catholic Church throughout history. [75] [195] Prior to his papacy, he had been a prominent editor and supporter of initiatives such as the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops in 1965. As pope, he formally issued public apologies for over 100 transgressions, including: [196] [197] [198] [199]

• The judicial proceedings against the Italian scientist and philosopher Galileo Galilei , himself a devout Catholic, around 1633 (October 31, 1992). [200] [201]

• The involvement of Catholics in the Atlantic slave trade (August 9, 1993).

• The role of the church hierarchy in burnings at the stake and the ensuing religious wars following the Protestant Reformation (May 20, 1995, in the Czech Republic).

• The injustices perpetrated against women, the violation of women’s rights , and the historical denigration of women (July 10, 1995, in a letter addressed “to every woman”).

• The inaction and silence of many Catholics during the Holocaust (see article Religion in Nazi Germany ) (March 16, 1998).

The Great Jubilee of the year 2000 included a Day of Prayer for the Forgiveness of the Sins of the Church on March 12, 2000.

On November 20, 2001, using a laptop at the Vatican, John Paul II sent his inaugural email apology concerning Catholic sex abuse cases , the church-backed Stolen Generations of Aboriginal children in Australia, and the behavior of Catholic missionaries in colonial times towards China. [202]

Health

• Main article: Pope John Paul II’s health

An ailing John Paul II in the Popemobile in September 2004 in St. Peter’s Square

Upon assuming the papacy in 1978 at the age of 58, John Paul II was an avid sportsman. He maintained robust health and activity, particularly in the initial years of his pontificate, engaging in jogging in the Vatican gardens , weight training, swimming, and hiking. He was also fond of football, skiing , and swimming . Media outlets contrasted the new pope’s athleticism and lean physique with the declining health of John Paul I and Paul VI , the portliness of John XXIII , and the persistent health complaints of Pius XII . The only modern pope noted for a fitness regimen was Pope Pius XI (1922–1939), an avid mountaineer who conquered peaks such as Monte Rosa , Mont Blanc (the highest peak in the Alps), and Matterhorn . [203] [204] Media occasionally referenced John Paul II’s fitness routine; for instance, an Irish Independent article in the 1980s dubbed him the “keep-fit pope,” and an Italian newspaper referred to him as l’atleta di Dio (“God’s athlete”) in 2005. [205]

However, after more than 26 years as pope, enduring two assassination attempts (one of which caused severe injury) and several scares related to cancer, John Paul’s physical health deteriorated. In 2001, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease . [206] International observers had suspected this condition for some time, but it was only publicly acknowledged by the Vatican in 2003. Despite experiencing difficulties in speaking more than brief sentences, compromised hearing , and severe osteoarthritis , he continued his global travels, albeit rarely appearing in public on foot.

Death and funeral

• Main article: Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II

Final months

John Paul II was hospitalized for breathing difficulties attributed to a bout of influenza on February 1, 2005. [207] He was discharged on February 10 but was subsequently readmitted two weeks later with respiratory issues and underwent a [tracheotomy]. [208]

Final illness and death

The body of Pope John Paul II lying in state.

On March 31, 2005, following a [urinary tract infection], [209] he developed septic shock , a severe infection characterized by high fever and low blood pressure . He was not hospitalized but remained under observation by a medical team in his private residence. This decision was interpreted as an indication by the Pope and those close to him that his death was imminent, aligning with his expressed wishes to pass away within the Vatican. [209] Later that day, Vatican sources announced that John Paul II had received the Anointing of the Sick administered by his close friend and secretary, Stanisław Dziwisz. The day before his death, one of his closest personal friends, Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka , visited him at his bedside. [78] [210] During the Pope’s final days, lights were kept burning throughout the night in his private apartment on the top floor of the Apostolic Palace . Tens of thousands of people gathered and held a vigil in St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets for two days. Upon learning of this, the dying Pope reportedly stated: “I have searched for you, and now you have come to me, and I thank you.” [211]

On Saturday, April 2, 2005, at approximately 3:30 PM CEST (Central European Summer Time ), John Paul II uttered his final words in Polish : “Pozwólcie mi odejść do domu Ojca” (“Allow me to depart to the house of the Father”) to his aides, and subsequently fell into a coma about four hours later. [211] [212] The Mass for the vigil of the Second Sunday of Easter, commemorating the canonisation of Faustina Kowalska on April 30, 2000, had just been celebrated at his bedside, presided over by Dziwisz and two Polish associates. Present at his bedside were Cardinal Lubomyr Husar from Ukraine, who had served as a priest alongside John Paul in Poland, along with Polish nuns from the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, who managed the papal household . John Paul II died in his private apartment at 9:37 PM CEST (7:37 PM UTC (UTC )) from heart failure resulting from profound hypotension and complete circulatory collapse due to septic shock. [212] [213] [214] His passing was confirmed when an electrocardiogram, monitored for 20 minutes, displayed a [flatline]. [215]

He had no immediate family members at the time of his death; his sentiments on this matter are reflected in his Last Will and Testament, written in 2000. [216] Dziwisz later revealed that he had not burned the pontiff’s personal notes, despite the request being part of the will. [217]

(from left to right) George W. Bush , Laura Bush , George H. W. Bush , Bill Clinton , Condoleezza Rice , and Andrew Card , US dignitaries paying their respects to John Paul II on April 6, 2005, at St. Peter’s Basilica , Vatican City.

Aftermath

The pontiff’s death initiated a series of rituals and traditions dating back to medieval times. The Rite of Visitation took place from April 4, 2005, to April 7, 2005, at St. Peter’s Basilica. John Paul II’s testament, published on April 7, 2005, [218] indicated his contemplation of burial in his native Poland but left the final decision to the College of Cardinals . Ultimately, they opted for burial beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, honoring the pontiff’s request to be laid “in bare earth.”

The Requiem Mass held on April 8, 2005, reportedly set world records for both attendance and the number of heads of state present. [200] [219] [220] [221] (See: [List of dignitaries at the funeral of Pope John Paul II].) It represented the largest gathering of heads of state up to that point, exceeding the funerals of Winston Churchill (1965) and Josip Broz Tito (1980). Four kings, five queens, at least 70 presidents and prime ministers, and over 14 religious leaders attended. [219] An estimated four million mourners converged in and around Vatican City. [200] [220] [221] [222] Between 250,000 and 300,000 observed the event from within the Vatican’s walls. [221] In a rare display of interfaith respect, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox leaders, alongside representatives from Judaism, Islam , the Druze [223] and Buddhism , offered their own memorial prayers, expressing solidarity with the grief of Catholics.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger , the Dean of the College of Cardinals , officiated the ceremony. John Paul II was interred in the grottoes beneath the basilica , in the Tomb of the Popes . His remains were placed in the same alcove previously occupied by John XXIII . This alcove had been vacant since John XXIII’s remains were transferred to the main body of the basilica following his beatification. Upon his own beatification in 2011, the remains of John Paul II were relocated to the Chapel of St. Sebastian within the main basilica. [224]

Posthumous recognition

• See also: Pope John Paul II in popular culture

Title “the Great”

John Paul II’s former tomb in the Vatican Grottoes prior to his beatification.

Following John Paul II’s death, numerous Vatican clergy and lay individuals [89] [200] [225] began referring to the late pontiff as “John Paul the Great,” a title