Pope Saint John Paul II
Pope Saint John Paul II, original name Karol Wojtyla (1920- ). Polish pope. Ordained in 1946, he became bishop of Cracow in 1958 and archbishop in 1964. He was created cardinal in 1967. Elected pope in 1978, he took the name John Paul in honour of his immediate predecessor John Paul I, who died after only 33 days in office. The first non-Italian pope since 1522, he has travelled more widely than any of his predecessors. As pontiff he has spoken out on issues of human rights and social justice while opposing political activity by the clergy in Third World countries. He has rejected any relaxation of the Church’s traditional teaching on contraception, homosexuality, and the maintenance of a celibate male priesthood.
