John Paul II

Karol Józef Wojtyła , known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election

to the papacy, was born in Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometres from

Cracow, on May 18, 1920. He was the second of two sons born to Karol

Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother

Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army

officer died in 1941.

He made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Upon

graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in

Cracow’s Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.

The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 and young Karol

had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory

to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany.

In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the

clandestine seminary of Cracow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha,

archbishop of Cracow. At tthe same time, Karol Wojtyła was one of the

pioneers of the „Rhapsodic Theatre,“ also clandestine.

After the Second World War, he continued his studies in the major seminary

of Cracow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the

Jagiellonian UUniversity, until

his priestly ordination in Cracow on November 1, 1946.

Soon after, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the

guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his

doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the topic of faith in the

works of St. John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he

exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France,

Belgium and Holland.

In 1948 he returned to Poland and was vicar of various parishes in Cracow

as well as chaplain for the university students until 1951, when he took up

again his studies on philosophy and theology. In 1953 he defended a thesis

on „evaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the

ethical system of Max SScheler“ at Lublin Catholic University. Later he

became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary

of Cracow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin.

On July 4, 1958, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cracow by Pope Pius

XII, and was consecrated September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Cracow, by

Archbishop Baziak.

On January 13, 1964, he was nominated Archbishop of Cracow by Pope Paul VI,

who made him a cardinal June 26, 1967.

Besides taking part in Vatican Council II with an iimportant contribution to

the elaboration of the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyła

participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.

Since the start of his Pontificate on October 16, 1978, Pope John Paul II

has completed 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy .

As Bishop of Rome he has visited 317 of the 333 parishes .

His principal documents include 14 encyclicals , 15 apostolic exhortations

, 11 apostolic constitutions and 45 apostolic letters. The Pope has also

published five books : „Crossing the Threshold of Hope“ (October 1994);

„Gift and Mystery: On the 50th Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination“

(November 1996); „Roman Triptych – Meditations“, a book of poems (March

2003); „Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way“ (May 2004) and „Memory and Identity“

(pubblication spring 2005).

John Paul II has presided at 147 beatification ceremonies ( 1,338 Blesseds

proclaimed ) and 51 canonization ceremonies ( 482 Saints ) during his

pontificate. He has held 9 consistories in which he created 231 (+ 1 in

pectore) cardinals . He has also convened six plenary meetings of the

College of Cardinals .

From 1978 to today the Holy Father has presided at 15 Synods of Bishops :

six ordinary (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994, 2001), one extraordinary (1985)

and eight special (1980, 1991, 11994, 1995, 1997, 1998[2] and 1999).

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 1,160). Such figure is without

counting all other special audiences and religious ceremonies held [more

than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone]

and the millions of faithful met during pastoral visits made in Italy and

throughout the world. It must also be remembered the numerous government

personalities encountered during 38 official visits and in the 738

audiences and meetings held with Heads of State , and even the 246

audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers .

The media outlets are beginning to report that the pope has died at the age

of 85. His death (presuming that the reports are true) comes, of course, at

the end of a very long illness that had him in and out of hospital (mostly

in) for many months.

As of 1:45 PM EST, CNN is reporting that the pope’s brain has ceased

functioning but his heart is still beating. Drudgereport was reporting that

he died, but has no backtracked to say that reports indicate he may have

died.

Now I wonder.is Terri Schiavo’s death going to be forgotten now that the

pope hhas also died, or will her death overshadow the pope’s, at least in

the United States? I can’t help but draw a comparison to when Mother

Teresa’s death went almost unnoticed among all the fury and media attention

surrounding the death of Princess Diana.

James White writes, „Now a Vatican representative is saying that Mary has

opened wide the door to heaven to John Paul, who dedicated himself to Mary

(a reference to the Papal motto, Totus tuus, „totally yours,“ addressed not

to Jesus, but to Mary). If you are likewise watching, do not hold your

breath waiting to hear about repentance from sin, the perfection of the

work of Christ, the imputed righteousness of Christ. But you will hear much

of Mary, far more than of Jesus. The true faith of Rome is on display in

this situation. American Roman Catholic apologists seek to diminish the

centrality of Mary in Roman theology, but here you see how foundational

Mary is to the piety of the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome

itself.“

3:15 PM – White, once again, says what I am too timid to say. „We are

hearing a great deal about the Pope dying in peace. And for what reason?

Because he has suffered. You will be able to see, and hear,

just how badly

understood the gospel is amongst evangelicals and others as you listen to

the commentary on the Pope. The specifics of the gospel will be buried

under the emotionalism of death. The Pope’s salvation will be guaranteed

not because his faith is fixed solely upon the finished work of Christ

(which, in light of the devotion to Mary, belief in the Mass, purgatory,

etc., it clearly is not), but because of his suffering, his „goodness,“ a

goodness not determined by reference to God’s holiness, of course, but by

reference to other men.

I wonder.how many evangelical leaders will honor God rather than men and

say what needs to be said? „Unless the Pope believed the gospel, he, like

any other person on the planet, died under the wrath of God, outside of the

only way of salvation God has provided in Jesus Christ!“ And how many will

cave in to the fear of the face of men and do what society demands by

compromising the gospel, showing a greater love of the acclaim of men

rather than the approval of God? Remember, friends: Romans 5:1 Therefore,

having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord

Jesus Christ.“

I agree that this is a time when we will see what evangelical leaders are

made oof!

To special groups

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors

present at today’s Audience. I greet particularly the members of the

Servite Secular Institute and the groups from Scotland, Finland, Australia

and the United States of America. Wishing you a pleasant and fruitful stay

in Rome, I cordially invoke upon you the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

I wish you all a happy New Year!

I address a special thought to the Patriarch of Cilicia for Armenians, His

Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, and to the Bishops accompanying him, the

members of the Lions Clubs of Puglia and the representatives of the

„Circolo Didattico di Somma Vesuviana“, gathered here with the Archbishop

of Nola.

I also greet the priests, seminarians and lay people of the Neocatechumenal

Way. DDear friends, I thank you for your generous commitment to the new

evangelization. I hope that the reflections of these days will help you to

deepen communion in heartfelt compliance, both with the Pastors of the

local Churches and the competent Institutions of the Holy See. Thus, you

will be able to make a more and more effective contribution to the cause of

the Gospel.

Lastly my thoughts go to the young people, to the sick and to the newly-

weds. I entrust you all to the mmotherly protection of the Virgin Mary.