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Karol Józef Woytila was born in Wadowice, a small Polish city 50 km from Kracow, on 18 May 1920. His mother died in 1929. His father, a non-commissioned army officer, died in 1941. In his youth he had direct experience of both Nazi and Stalinist totalitarianism.
Karol had to work in a quarry to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany during the Nazi occupation. While following a course in the clandestine seminary of Kracow he was one of the pioneers of the clandestine Rhapsodic Theatre. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1946 and continued his studies to become a professor of moral theology.
On January 13, 1964, he was nominated Archbishop of Kracow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal on June 26, 1967.
He was elected Pope at the relatively young age of 58 years. Since the start of his Pontificate on October 16, 1978, Pope John Paul II has completed 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy. He has written 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions and 44 apostolic letters.
The Pope has also published five books. His fifth book, entitled ‘Memory and Identity’, has been published this week just before the Pope’s hospitalisation.
John Paul II has beatified 1,338 persons including the Maltese Dun Gorg Preca, Adeodata Pisani and Nazzju Falzon. He also canonised 482 new saints during his pontificate. No other Pope has encountered so many individuals like John Paul II. To date more than 17,600,000 pilgrims have participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays.
More than eight million pilgrims visited the Vatican during the Great Jubilee in 2000.
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