Catelgandolfo, 2 de setembro de 2002
Saint John Paul II, Pray for us
Karol J. Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his
October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in Karol J. Wojtyla, known as
John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in
Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. He was the
second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother
died in 1929. His elder 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 Krakow’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 Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan
Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyla 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 Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of
theology of the Jagiellonian University, until his priestly ordination in
Krakow on November 1, 1946.
Soon after, he was sent 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 Saint John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he exercised
his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and
Holland.
On 4 July 1958, while on a kayaking holiday in the
lakes region of northern Poland, Venerable Pope Pius XII appointed him as the
auxiliary bishop of Kraków and he received episcopal consecration on 28
September 1958. At the age of 38, Wojtyla became the youngest bishop in Poland.
In October 1962, Wojtyla took part in the Second Vatican Council, where he made
contributions to two of its most historic and influential products, the Decree
on Religious Freedom and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern
World. On 26 June 1967, Blessed Paul VI announced Archbishop Karol Wojtyla’s
promotion to the Sacred College of Cardinals.
He was elected pope by the second Papal conclave of
1978, which was called after Pope John Paul I, who had been elected in August
to succeed Pope Paul VI, died after thirty-three days. Cardinal Wojtyła was
elected on the third day of the conclave, the first non-Italian pope since the
Dutch Pope Adrian VI, who reigned from 1522 to 1523, and adopted his predecessor’s
name in tribute to him. John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist
rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul II
significantly improved the Catholic Church’s relations with Judaism, Islam, the
Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He upheld the Church’s
teachings on such matters as artificial contraception and the ordination of
women, but also vigorously supported the Church’s Second Vatican Council and
its reforms.
He was one of the most traveled world leaders in
history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special
emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and
canonized 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during
the preceding five centuries. By the time of his death, he had named most of
the College of Cardinals. A key goal of John Paul’s papacy was to transform and
reposition the Catholic Church. His wish was “to place the Church at the heart
of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and
Christians in a great religious armada.”
John Paul II was the second longest-serving pope in
modern history after Venerable Pope Pius IX, who served for nearly 32 years.
John Paul II’s cause for canonization began in 2005, one month after his death,
with the traditional five-year waiting period waived. On 19 December 2009, John
Paul II was proclaimed Venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI and was
beatified on 1 May 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
attributed one miracle to his intercession, the healing of a French nun from
Parkinson’s disease. A second miracle attributed to John Paul II’s intercession
was approved and he was canonized on 27 April 2014 together with Pope John
XXIII by Pope Francis., a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18,
1920. He was the second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia
Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His elder 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 Krakow’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 Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan
Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyla 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 Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of
theology of the Jagiellonian University, until his priestly ordination in
Krakow on November 1, 1946.
Soon after, he was sent 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 Saint John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he exercised
his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and
Holland.
On 4 July 1958, while on a kayaking holiday in the
lakes region of northern Poland, Venerable Pope Pius XII appointed him as the
auxiliary bishop of Kraków and he received episcopal consecration on 28
September 1958. At the age of 38, Wojtyla became the youngest bishop in Poland.
In October 1962, Wojtyla took part in the Second Vatican Council, where he made
contributions to two of its most historic and influential products, the Decree
on Religious Freedom and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern
World. On 26 June 1967, Blessed Paul VI announced Archbishop Karol Wojtyla’s
promotion to the Sacred College of Cardinals.
He was elected pope by the second Papal conclave of
1978, which was called after Pope John Paul I, who had been elected in August
to succeed Pope Paul VI, died after thirty-three days. Cardinal Wojtyła was
elected on the third day of the conclave, the first non-Italian pope since the
Dutch Pope Adrian VI, who reigned from 1522 to 1523, and adopted his predecessor’s
name in tribute to him. John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist
rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul II
significantly improved the Catholic Church’s relations with Judaism, Islam, the
Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He upheld the Church’s
teachings on such matters as artificial contraception and the ordination of
women, but also vigorously supported the Church’s Second Vatican Council and
its reforms.
He was one of the most traveled world leaders in
history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special
emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and
canonized 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during
the preceding five centuries. By the time of his death, he had named most of
the College of Cardinals. A key goal of John Paul’s papacy was to transform and
reposition the Catholic Church. His wish was “to place the Church at the heart
of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and
Christians in a great religious armada.”
John Paul II was the second longest-serving pope in
modern history after Venerable Pope Pius IX, who served for nearly 32 years.
John Paul II’s cause for canonization began in 2005, one month after his death,
with the traditional five-year waiting period waived. On 19 December 2009, John
Paul II was proclaimed Venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI and was
beatified on 1 May 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
attributed one miracle to his intercession, the healing of a French nun from
Parkinson’s disease. A second miracle attributed to John Paul II’s intercession
was approved and he was canonized on 27 April 2014 together with Pope John
XXIII by Pope Francis.
