Pope John Paul II
John Paul II was one of the most significant Poles of the 16th century. Undoubtedly, all people, regardless of his religion, respected him for what a man he was. The Pope ruled the Church from October 1978, 2. John Paul II took his name after his predecessors. The Holy Father died on April 2005, XNUMX in the Vatican. Nine years after his death, John Paul II was proclaimed a saint.
Carol Joseph Wojtyla
Karol Józef Wojtyła (John Paul II) was born on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice as the son of Karol Wojtyła and his wife Emilia née Kaczorowska. The atmosphere in the family home, its surroundings, childhood and loved ones strongly influenced the spiritual and intellectual development of the future Pope.
Childhood
Young Karol Wojtyła lost his mother at the age of 9. After her death, he became an altar boy. As he himself mentioned, he was not the most zealous in this service. When his father noticed this, he said to his son: “You are not a good altar boy. You are not praying enough to the Holy Spirit. You should pray to Him.” After these words, he showed little Charles a certain prayer:
From that moment on, the future Pope (John Paul II) began to pray with her words and experience an even more powerful action of God in his life. “I haven't forgotten her. It was an important spiritual lesson, more lasting and stronger than any I could have learned from the readings or teachings I had received. How convinced he was talking to me! I can still hear his voice today. The result of this lesson from my childhood is my encyclical on the Holy Spirit, ”he said many years later as Pope.
John Paul II died 15 years ago
He was elected pope by the second assembly of cardinals after the death of John Paul I. He died after thirty-three days of his of the pontificate. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected on the third day of the conclave and took the names of John Paul to honor his predecessor. His election to the See of Peter had a particular impact on the events in Eastern Europe and Asia in the 80s and 90s, in particular on the democratic changes in Poland and other countries of the Eastern Bloc.
