Pope Saint John Paul II lived between 1920 till 2005 and was born in Poland. His mother died when he was 8 years old and his deeply religious father influenced him spiritually. Before the invasion of Poland in 1939 by the Nazis, he studied literature, poetry, and theatre. He entered the priesthood and was ordained in 1946. After completing his doctoral studies in Rome, he returned to Poland and ministered to the young people. In 1958 he was ordained a bishop and in 1962 he attended the Second Vatican Council. His leadership in encouraging spiritual and cultural resistance to the Communist occupation of Poland is well known. In 1978, he was elected Supreme Pontiff, the first non-Italian Pope in 450 plus years. His teachings on the Theology of the Body, the Universal Call to Holiness and his devotion to the Virgin Mary during his pontificate were important contributions to the Church. He beatified 1338 people and canonised 482 saints. His visits to 129 countries make him one of the most well-traveled leaders in history. In 2014 he was canonised by Pope Francis.
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| Image: John Paul II in 1993 |
