The Venerable Pope John
Paul II Latin: Sevorum Dei
Ioannes Paulus P.P. II), born Karol Józef Wojtyla (May 18 1920 - April
2 2005), was (The head of the Roman Catholic Church) Pope of the (The Christian
Church based in the Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal
hierarchy) Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978
until his death.
He was the first non-Italian to serve in office since the (The West
Germanic language of the Netherlands) Dutch- (A person of German nationality)
German Pope
Adrian VI died in 1523. John Paul II's reign was the third-longest
in the history of the Papacy, after those of (Disciple of Jesus and
leader of the
apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and
first Pope) Saint Peter (about 35 years) and Blessed Pius IX (31 years).
This is in a distinctive contrast with that of his predecessor Pope
John Paul I, who died suddenly after only 33 days in office, and in
whose memory John
Paul II named himself. The reign was marked by a continuing decline
of Catholicism in industrialized nations and expansion in the (Underdeveloped
and developing countries of Asia and Africa and Latin America collectively)
third world.
Pope John Paul II emphasized what he called the universal call to
holiness and attempted to define the Catholic Church's role in the
modern world. He spoke out against ideologies and politics of (A political
theory favoring collectivism in a classless society) communism, (A
doctrine that advocates equal rights for women) feminism, (A policy
of extending your rule over foreign countries) imperialism, ((philosophy)
the philosophical doctrine that all criteria of judgment are relative
to the individuals and situations involved) relativism, ((philosophy)
the philosophical theory that matter is the only reality) materialism,
(A political theory advocating an authoritarian hierarchical government
(as opposed to democracy or liberalism)) fascism (including (A form
of socialism featuring racism and expansionism) nazism), (The prejudice
that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other
races) racism and unrestrained (An economic system based on private
ownership of capital) capitalism. In many ways, he fought against (A
feeling of being oppressed) oppression, (A doctrine that rejects religion
and religious considerations) secularism and (The state of having little
or no money and few or no material possessions) poverty. Although he
was on friendly terms with many Western heads of state and leading
citizens, he reserved a special opprobrium for what he believed to
be the corrosive spiritual effects of modern Western (A movement advocating
greater protection of the interests of consumers) consumerism and the
concomitant widespread secular and hedonistic orientation of Western
populations.
He affirmed, explained and defined Catholic teachings on life by opposing
(Termination of pregnancy) abortion, (Birth control by the use of devices
(diaphragm or intrauterine device or condom) or drugs or surgery) contraception,
(Putting a condemned person to death) capital punishment, embryonic
(Research on stem cells and their use in medicine) stem-cell research,
human cloning,
(The act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering
from an incurable illness)) euthanasia, (The waging of armed conflict
against an enemy) war and accepted ((biology) the sequence of events
involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic
group of organisms) evolution. He also defended traditional teachings
on (The state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life
(or until divorce)) marriage and (The overt expression of attitudes
that indicate to others the degree of your maleness or femaleness)
gender roles by opposing (The legal dissolution of a marriage) divorce,
(Two people of the same sex who live together as a family) same-sex
marriage and the ordination of women. Defending Roman Catholic positions
on sexual
orientation he affirmed that all humans are naturally heterosexual,
rejecting mainstream (A particular branch of scientific knowledge)
science and opposing gay-rights. He dissented from the modern understanding
of separation of church and state by calling upon Catholics to
vote according to their beliefs, even if they were based on their religion
and suggested that politicians who strayed be denied the (A Christian
sacrament commemorating the Last Supper by consecrating bread and wine)
eucharist.
John Paul became known as the "Pilgrim Pope" for having
travelled greater distances than had all his predecessors combined.
According to John Paul II, the trips symbolized bridge-building efforts
(in keeping with his title as "Pontifex Maximus", literally "Master
Bridge Builder") between nations and religions, attempting to
remove divisions created through history.
It is reported that as of October 2004, he had beatified 1,340 people,
more people than any previous pope. The Vatican asserts he canonized
more people than the combined tally of his predecessors during the
last five centuries, and from a far greater variety of cultures. Whether
he had canonised more saints than all previous popes put together,
as is sometimes also claimed, is difficult to prove, as the records
of many early canonisations are incomplete, missing or inaccurate.
However, it is known that his abolition of the office of Promotor Fidei
(Promoter of the Faith, a.k.a. Devil's Advocate) streamlined the canonisation
process.
Pope John Paul II died on 2 April, 2005 after a long fight against
Parkinson's
disease and other illnesses. Immediately after his death, many of his
followers demanded that he be elevated to (Saints collectively) sainthood
as soon as possible, shouting "Santo Subito". Both L'Osservatore
Romano and Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II's successor, referred
to John Paul II as "great". Six weeks later, on May 13, Pope
Benedict formally opened the cause for ((Roman Catholic Church) an
act of the Pope who declares that a deceased person lived a holy life
and is worthy of public veneration; a first step toward canonization)
beatification for his predecessor, which now allows Catholics to refer
to Pope John Paul as "Servant of God".
John Paul was succeeded by the Dean of the ((Roman Catholic Church)
the body of cardinals who advise the Pope and elect new Popes) College
of Cardinals, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of (A republic in central
Europe; split into East German and West Germany after World War II
and reunited
in 1990) Germany, the former head of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith who had led the funeral mass for John
Paul.
Biography of Pope John Paul II.
Early life
Karol Józef Wojtyla
was born on 18 May, 1920 in Wadowice in southern (A
republic in central Europe; the invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939
started World War II) Poland. His mother died in 1929, and his father
supported him so that he could study. His youth was marked by intensive
contacts with the then thriving (A person belonging to the worldwide
group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected
by cultural or religious ties) Jewish community of Wadowice.
Karol enrolled at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He worked as
a volunteer librarian and did compulsory military training in the Academic
Legion. In his youth, he was an (A person trained to compete in sports)
athlete, (A theatrical performer) actor, and (Someone who writes plays)
playwright, and he learned as many as eleven (A systematic means of
communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols) languages.
During the Second World War, academics of the Jagiellonian University
were arrested and the university suppressed. All able-bodied males
had to have a job. He variously worked as a messenger for a restaurant
and a manual labourer in a limestone quarry.
Church careerIn 1942, he entered the underground seminary run by the
Archbishop of (An industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula)
Kraków, Cardinal Sapieha. Karol Wojtyla was ordained a (A clergyman
in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer
various religious
rites; one of the Holy Orders) priest on 1 November 1946.
On 4 July 1958, Pope Pius XII named him titular bishop of Ombi and
auxiliary to Archbishop Baziak, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese
of (An
industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula) Kraków. Karol
Wojtyla found himself, at thirty-eight, the youngest (A clergyman having
spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches
to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be
successors of the twelve apostles of Christ) bishop in (A republic
in central Europe; the invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939 started
World War II) Poland.
In 1962, Bishop Karol Wojtyla took part in the Second Vatican Council,
and in December 1963,) Pope Paul VI appointed him (A bishop of highest
rank) Archbishop of (An industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula)
Kraków.
Pope Paul VI
elevated him to ((Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than
100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and
elect new Popes) cardinal in 1967.
A Pope from PolandIn August 1978, following Paul's death, he voted
in the Papal
Conclave that elected Pope John Paul I, who, at 65, was considered
a young man by papal standards. Nobody could have expected that his
second conclave
would come so soon, for on 28 September 1978, after only 33 days as
Pope, (The first Pope to assume a double name; he reigned for only
34 days (1912-1978)) John Paul I was discovered dead in the papal apartments.
Voting in the second conclave was divided between two particularly
strong candidates: Giuseppe Cardinal Siri, the Archbishop of (A seaport
in northwestern Italy; provincial capital of Liguria) Genoa, and Giovanni
Cardinal Benelli, the Archbishop of (A town in northeast South Carolina;
transportation center) Florence and a close associate of Pope John
Paul I. In early ballots, Benelli came within nine votes of victory.
However Wojtyla
secured election as a compromise candidate, in part through the support
of
Franz Cardinal König and others who had previously supported Giuseppe
Cardinal Siri.
He became the 264th Pope according to the Vatican (265th according
to sources that count Pope Stephen II). At only 58 years of age, he
was the youngest pope elected since Pope Pius IX in 1846.
Like his immediate predecessor, Pope John Paul II dispensed with the
traditional Papal Coronation and instead received ecclesiastical investiture
with the simplified
Papal Inauguration.
Assassination attempts On 13 May 1981, John Paul II was shot and critically
wounded by
Mehmet Ali Agca, a (A Turkic language spoken by the Turks) Turkish
gunman, as he entered St. Peter's Square to address an audience. Agca
was eventually sentenced to (A sentence of imprisonment until death)
life
imprisonment. Two days after (A Christian holiday celebrating the birth
of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland) Christmas
1983, John Paul visited the prison where his would-be assassin was
being held. The two spoke privately for some time. John Paul II said "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".
Another assassination attempt took place on 12 May, 1982, in Fatima,
Portugal when a man tried to stab John Paul II with a (A knife that
can be fixed
to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon) bayonet, but was stopped
by security guards. The assailant, an ultraconservative Spanish (A
clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or
administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders) priest
named Juan María Fernández y Krohn, reportedly opposed
the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and called the pope an "agent
of Moscow". He served a six-year sentence, followed by his expulsion
from Portugal.
Health John Paul II entered the papacy as a healthy, relatively young
man of 58, who hiked, swam and went skiing. However, after over twenty-five
years on the papal throne, two assassination attempts (one of which
resulted in severe physical injury to the Pope), and a number of (Type
genus of the family Cancridae) cancer scares, John Paul's physical
health declined.
The 1981 assassination attempt was costlier to his overall health
than was generally known by the public at the time. On the operating
table his blood pressure fell dangerously low and his heartbeat was
extremely weak, prompting a doctor to advise administration of the
(A Catholic sacrament; a priest anoints a dying person with oil and
prays for salvation) Anointing of the Sick (formerly known as "(Rites
performed in connection with a death or burial) Last Rites").
There were difficulties with blood transfusions and it is believed
(Any of a group of herpes viruses that enlarge epitheltial cells and
can cause birth defects; can affect humans with impaired immunological
systems) cytomegalovirus (CMV) was transmitted, complicating recovery.
The bullet had passed completely through the body, puncturing the stomach
and necessitating a (A surgical operation that creates an opening from
the colon to the surface of the body to function as an anus) colostomy.
Seven weeks later, discussions were held about reversing the colostomy
and eight of nine doctors voted against it, arguing the Pope was still
too weak from the CMV infection. Saying "I don't want to continue
half dead and half alive", the Pope effectively overruled his
physicians and the reversal was done successfully on August 5, 1981.
An
orthopaedic surgeon confirmed in 2001 that Pope John Paul II was suffering
from
Parkinson's disease, as international observers had suspected for some
time; this was acknowledged publicly by the Vatican in 2003. Despite
difficulty speaking more than a few sentences at a time, trouble hearing
and severe (Inflammation of a joint or joints) arthritis, he continued
to tour the world, although rarely walking in public. Those who met
him late in his life said that although physically he was in poor shape,
mentally he remained fully alert.
However that claim was disputed by among others Rowan Williams, the
Archbishop
of Canterbury, and
Mary McAleese, the (Click link for more info and facts about President
of Ireland) President of Ireland, in their accounts of meetings with
him in 2003. After John Paul II's death, Williams told the Sunday Times
of a meeting with the Pope, during which he had paid tribute to one
of John Paul's
(A letter from the pope sent to all Roman Catholic bishops throughout
the world) encyclicals. According to Williams, John Paul II showed
no recognition. An aide whispered in the pope's ear, but was overheard
reminding John Paul about the encyclical. However the Pope still showed
no recognition. Papal historian John Cornwell recounted from other
sources that, after Williams and his entourage left, the Pope turned
to an aide and asked "tell me, who were those people". Mary
McAleese told the British Catholic newspaper The Universe of a visit
as President of Ireland to John Paul where he struggled to talk about
the Irish
College in Rome, where Irish seminarians in the city are trained and
to which the Pope prior to his election had often travelled".He
wanted to be reminded of where the Irish College was, and when he heard
that it was very close to St. John Lateran's basilica he wanted to
be reminded where that was too".
On 1 February, 2005, the Pope was taken to the Gemelli Hospital in
(Capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman
Catholic
Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire)
Rome suffering from acute inflammation of the (A cartilaginous structure
at the top of the trachea; contains elastic vocal cords that are the
source of the vocal tone in speech) larynx, brought on by a bout of
(An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease) influenza. He was
released, but in late February 2005 he began having trouble breathing,
and he was rushed back. A (A surgical operation that creates an opening
into the trachea with a tube inserted to provide a passage for air;
performed when the pharynx is obstructed by edema or cancer or other
causes) tracheotomy was performed. His doctors advised him not to try
speaking.
On Palm Sunday (20 March) the Pope made a brief appearance at his
window and silently waved an olive branch to pilgrims. Two days later
there were renewed concerns for his health after reports stated that
he had taken a turn for the worse and was not responding to medication.
By the end of the month, speculation was growing, and was finally confirmed
by the Vatican officials, that he was nearing death.
Death On 31 March, 2005 the Pope developed a "very high fever" (BBC
News, 1 April, 2005), but was neither rushed to the hospital, nor
offered life support, apparently in accordance with his wishes to die
in the Vatican. Later that day, Vatican sources announced that John
Paul II had been given the (A Catholic sacrament; a priest anoints
a dying person with oil and prays for salvation) Anointing of the Sick.
During the final days of the Pope's life, the lights were kept burning
through the night where he lay in the Papal apartment on the top floor
of the Apostolic Palace.
Thousands of people rushed to the Vatican, filling St Peter's Square
and beyond, and held vigil for two days. In his private apartments,
at
21:37 CEST (19:37 (Greenwich
Mean Time updated with leap seconds) UTC) on 2 April, Pope John Paul
II died 46 days short of his 85th birthday.
A crowd of over two million within Vatican City, over one billion
Catholics world-wide, and many non-Catholics mourned John Paul II.
The Poles, who had a deep sense of devotion towards the pontiff and
referred to him as their "father" were particularly devastated
by his death. The massive gathering of young people at the funeral
of Pope John Paul II was referred to on the BBC as Holy Woodstock.
The public viewing of his body in St. Peter's Basilica drew over four
million people to Vatican City and was one of the largest (A journey
to a sacred
place) pilgrimages in the history of Christianity. Many world leaders
expressed their condolences and ordered flags in their countries lowered
to half-mast. Numerous countries with a Catholic majority, and even
some with only a small Catholic population, declared mourning for John
Paul II.
Funeral of Pope John Paul II.
The death of Pope John Paul II set into motion (Any customary observance
or practice) rituals and traditions dating back to medieval times.
The Rite of Visitation took place from 4 April and extended through
the morning of 8 April
at St. Peter's Basilica. So many people came to see him in state that
the line had to be cut off with many people still waiting. On 8 April,
the Mass of Requiem was conducted by the Dean of the College of Cardinals,
Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (who would become the next pope).
John Paul II was interred in the grottoes under the basilica, the
Tomb of the Popes. He was lowered into the (A place for the burial
of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone))
tomb that had been occupied by the remains of Blessed Pope John XXIII,
but which had been empty since his remains had been moved into the
main body of the basilica after his ((Roman Catholic Church) an act
of the Pope who declares that a deceased person lived a holy life and
is worthy of public veneration; a first step toward canonization) beatification
by John Paul II in 2003.
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