As we prepare for the
Centennial (100th) Birthday of Saint John Paul II, which will take
place on May 18, 2020, we reflect the remarkable life of the famous Polish
Pontiff.
St. Pope John Paul II was
born Karol Józef Wojtyła in
Wadowice Poland. When he was just a young boy, his mother died in child birth
and before he was 20 years old, he had also lost his brother and father. After
his father’s death in 1941 he began courses at the clandestine underground
seminary which was run by the Archbishop of Krakow. Several times, he escaped
death in freak accidents and even avoided the Gestapo, which, to him, confirmed
his calling to become a priest.
Throughout the Nazi regime,
while still a seminarian, he is attributed with saving the lives of several
Jewish children which led to him receiving the medal of a “Righteous Among the
Nations”. In 1946, he was Ordained on All Saint’s Day. Just a year later, when
visiting and confessing to Saint Padre Pio, St. Padre Pio shared a prophecy
that he would someday ascend to the highest post in the Church.
In 1953 he began teaching
Ethics at the Jagiellonian University where he gathered a small group young
people, who affectionally referred to themselves as “Rodzinka” or “little
family”. They often met for prayer and enjoyed activities like skiing and
kayaking together. The group grew to about 200 people and Saint Pope John Paul
II became known as “Wujek”, the Polish word for “Uncle”. Upon being named
Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow, he assured his little family, “Wujek will remain
Wujek”. This nickname is still affectionately used mostly by Polish
Catholics.
As a participant in the Synod
of Bishops, he had a good relationship with Blessed Pope Paul VI. He was
appointed the Archbishop of Krakow by Pope Paul VI in 1964 and subsequently
played a key role in creating the encyclical “Humanae vitae”.
He was elected Pope on
October 16, 1978 - and remained Pontiff until his death in 2005, making him the
second longest serving Pope in modern history. One of the most popular
Pontiffs, he often attracted large crowds - like in 1995 when nearly four (4)
million worshipers came to see him at the World Youth Day in Manila. The
Vatican recognizes this as the largest Papal gathering ever!