John Paul II
Wojtyła's papal name
John Paul II was pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005—the second-longest papacy in modern history.
Born Karol Wojtyła in Poland, he was the first non-Italian pope in over four centuries.
His pontificate emphasized opposition to communism, conservative doctrine on sexuality and abortion, and extensive global travel.
He was canonized as a saint in 2014.
Papal city-state
- pontiffSupreme Catholic leader
- Holy SeePapal governing authority
- encyclicalFormal papal circular letter
- conclavePrivate, secretive assembly
apostolic · curia · papal bull · ex cathedra · infallibility · mitre · pastoral · Sistine Chapel
Historic Polish metropolis
- WarsawPoland's largest city
- SolidarityPolish trade union movement
- VistulaChief Polish river
- Black MadonnaReligious statue with dark features
Gdansk · Slavic · communism · iron curtain · martial law · homeland
Catholic worship service
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- doctrineEstablished body of teachings
- faithTrust without proof
- sacramentsSacred Christian rites
rosary · theology · catechism · creed · dogma · homily · Eucharist · devotion
Spoken exchange between parties
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- ecumenismMovement toward religious unity
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
- Cold WarProlonged East-West standoff
diplomatic missions · anti-war · human dignity · religious freedom · interreligious · apologies · healing · bridge-builder
Pope's official travels
- pilgrimagesReligious destination travels
- world toursInternational performance journeys
- missionary journeysVoyages to evangelize distant peoples
- Latin AmericaRomance-speaking Western Hemisphere
Effort to kill a prominent figure
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- Parkinson'sNeurodegenerative motor disorder
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- saintCanonized holy person
canonized · feast day · anti-abortion · prolific writer · actor · playwright
Vatican
Papal city-state
- pontiffSupreme Catholic leader
- Holy SeePapal governing authority
- encyclicalFormal papal circular letter
conclave · apostolic · curia · papal bull · ex cathedra · infallibility · mitre · pastoral · Sistine Chapel · fisherman's ring
Krakow
Historic Polish metropolis
- WarsawPoland's largest city
- SolidarityPolish trade union movement
- VistulaChief Polish river
Black Madonna · Gdansk · Slavic · communism · iron curtain · martial law · homeland
Mass
Catholic worship service
sacraments · rosary · theology · catechism · creed · dogma · homily · Eucharist · devotion · Marian
dialogue
Spoken exchange between parties
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- ecumenismMovement toward religious unity
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
Cold War · diplomatic missions · anti-war · human dignity · religious freedom · interreligious · apologies · healing · bridge-builder
papal visits
Pope's official travels
- pilgrimagesReligious destination travels
- world toursInternational performance journeys
- missionary journeysVoyages to evangelize distant peoples
assassination attempt
Effort to kill a prominent figure
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- Parkinson'sNeurodegenerative motor disorder
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
saint · canonized · feast day · anti-abortion · prolific writer · actor · playwright
- Christian ThinkersThomas Aquinas, Augustine, Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, Athanasius
- Catholic ThoughtThomas Aquinas, scholasticism, natural law, Augustine, faith and reason
- Catholic ChurchVatican, papacy, cardinals, popes, papal
- CatholicismVatican, cardinals, pope, Holy Communion, popes
- Catholic historypapacy, Vatican, Pope, dioceses, Catholic Church
- Catholic social teachingCST, encyclicals, human dignity, subsidiarity, common good
John Paul IIJoseph Stalin
Fidel Castro · Mao Zedong · Soviet Union · Mikhail Gorbachev · Kim Il-sung