Born: 18th May 1920 in Wadowice, Poland
Died: 2nd April 2005 in Vatican City
Pope: 16th October 1978 - 2nd April 2005 Youth of Pope John Paul II
Wojtyla was born and raised in Poland during a rare period of national freedom which ended, initially, under Nazi occupation, and then Communist rule. Instilled with a firm religious belief by his father, Wojtyla attended school and then Jagiellonian University, where he balanced studies with an interest in acting and religiously inspired poetry.
Early Church Work Wojtyla was ordained in 1946 and over the next few years wrote doctrinal texts, pursued a higher level of education, taught Catholicism and encouraged religious freedom. Pope John
Paul II Karol Wojtyla was elected as Pope in 1978, bocamming the third that year, and the first non-Italian to hold the office since Hadrian VI, 455 years earlier.
Towards the end of his life John Paul was affected by several health problems, including cancer and an ongoing battle against Parkinson's disease, but such problems barely dented his schedule. Indeed, in March 2000 the Pope made one of his most noteworthy trips, visiting Jerusalem, where he met Jewish and Muslim leaders and visited some of the city's most holy places. However, in early 2005 his health declined once again and, after a long struggle, he died in the Vatican on April 2nd 2005, aged 84.
Early Church Work Wojtyla was ordained in 1946 and over the next few years wrote doctrinal texts, pursued a higher level of education, taught Catholicism and encouraged religious freedom. Pope John
Paul II Karol Wojtyla was elected as Pope in 1978, bocamming the third that year, and the first non-Italian to hold the office since Hadrian VI, 455 years earlier.
Towards the end of his life John Paul was affected by several health problems, including cancer and an ongoing battle against Parkinson's disease, but such problems barely dented his schedule. Indeed, in March 2000 the Pope made one of his most noteworthy trips, visiting Jerusalem, where he met Jewish and Muslim leaders and visited some of the city's most holy places. However, in early 2005 his health declined once again and, after a long struggle, he died in the Vatican on April 2nd 2005, aged 84.
