Pope John Paul II

Background Information
Original name: Karol Josef Wojtyla, Born: May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland , Pontificate: elected on 16th October 1978, Death: April 02, 2005 in Vatican City, Italy PJPII was the third longest in history (26 years, 5 months and 17 days), First non-Italian pope in 450 years, He was the youngest pope in 132 years. Grew up in Poland (Wadowice) a town of 8000 Catholics and 2000 Jews Born and raised in Poland, in political climate of Nazi occupation and communist rule Joined a cultural resistance movement where he began studying for the priesthood Ordained in November 1946, by Archbishop Sapieha Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome, to complete a doctrine. He completed it in 1948 with a thesis on the subject of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross 1956 Appointed to the Chair of Ethics at the Catholic University 1958 Named Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow. 1967 He was made Cardinal by Pope Paul VI and his appointment was welcomed by the government.

Contribution to the world and Christianity

Communism Ends communism in Poland without violence WYD created in 1984 to bring the youth of the world together to celebrate their faith Travelling known as the pope who did the most travelling in the history of Christianity. Human Rights He was a strong advocate for human rights but only within the traditions of the church. He was a consistent critic of war and preached justice, peace, equity between races and fought neoliberalism and human rights > especially childrens rights Restored conservative views on abortion, contraception and euthanasia and the place of women in society. He emphasised that harmonious international relations were deeply tied to a proper understanding of freedom and respect for moral precepts Interfaith Dialogue true pioneer in interfaith dialogue Preached to non-Christians where he saw a need to engage with members of other religious traditions of Semitic Origin Visited and engaged in discussions with Jews and Muslims First pope to set foot in a Synagogue and Mosque (May 2001) Champion of reconciliation; apologised to the Jews for their tarnished reputation as Christ killers Technology First pope to communicate to the world with telecommunication (live video feed) Encyclicals To counteract the bioethical concerns PJPII wrote the encyclical Evangelium Vitae (1995) , also known as the Gospel of Life which explains that human rights are to be sacred and precious and must be both respected and protected He wrote writings which support his beliefs (a total of 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations 11 apostolic constitution and 45 apostolic letters)

Impacts
Encyclicals - His writing is the point of reference for Catholics to observe and follow, where it provided additional information to what he has preached WYD - reaching out to the youths so that they will rejuvenate the Catholic Church and become more aware of the teachings of Christ (develop the faith of the next generation) Travelling Representation of Jesus Christ, how Jesus travelled to various places to teach others He is known as the Man of his people where encountering Catholics in their homeland strengthened the faith of the community Human Rights He presents a towering figure at the moral centre of modern life He promoted equality between races Ecumenism He promoted unity between Christian denominations. Interfaith Dialogue He saw a need to engage with members of other religions to eliminate hatred between religious beliefs He promoted unity between other religious traditions He promoted tolerance and assimilation He presents an image as a moral compass for believers and non-believers Healing the ancient breaches with Judaism