How long was jp2 pope

In this way, the Church has received an inestimable gift in St. John Paul II. Through his life, he has shown the radiation of the fatherhood of God in humanity, or what St. Paul calls the "newness of life in Christ" Cf. Although he was born into a loving family, his early life was marked by suffering and loss.

His older sister, Olga, died in infancy and, by the time Karol was twelve, his mother Emelia had died of kidney failure and his older brother, Edmund, had died heroically serving those stricken with scarlet fever. Known to his friends as Lolek, and growing under the loving guidance of his father, he was a vibrant youth, athletic, studious and a gifted theatrical performer.

Day after day I was able to observe the austere way in which he lived …his example was in a way my first seminary, a kind of domestic seminary. It was during this time that he met his spiritual mentor, Jan Tyranowski, and was introduced to the Carmelite mysticism of St. John of the Cross. This meeting profoundly changed the course of his life, leading him to the priesthood.

However, his studies were interrupted when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September In order to remain in the country, Karol was forced to work in a stone quarry as well as night shifts at the Solvay chemical plant. During this time, Karol suffered the loss of his father, who died of a heart attack on February 18, Peter's Basilica.

Therese of Lisieux a doctor of the church; presides at synod for America, one of a series of regional synods. Dies April 2. As the first non-Italian pope in years, John Paul became a spiritual protagonist in two global transitions: the fall of European communism, which began in his native Poland in , and the passage to the third millennium of Christianity.

He went to Krakow's Jagiellonian University in where he showed an interest in theater and poetry. The school was closed the next year by Nazi troops during the German occupation of Poland. Wanting to become a priest, John Paul began studying at a secret seminary run by the archbishop of Krakow.

After World War II ended, he finished his religious studies at a Krakow seminary and was ordained in John Paul spent two years in Rome where he finished his doctorate in theology. He returned to his native Poland in and served in several parishes in and around Krakow. John Paul became the bishop of Ombi in and then the archbishop of Krakow six years later. The council began reviewing church doctrine in , holding several sessions over the course of the next few years. As a member of the council, John Paul helped the church to examine its position in the world.

In , John Paul made history by becoming the first non-Italian pope in more than four hundred years. As the leader of the Catholic Church, he traveled the world, visiting more than countries to spread his message of faith and peace. But he was close to home when he faced the greatest threat to his life. He was a very human and approachable pope. He loved young people so much that he started World Youth Day so he could meet youth from all over the world every few years.

The pope was known as a true outdoorsman who loved to ski and hike. He helped bring about the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe through his preaching and his meetings with heads of state. In , a man named Mehmet Ali Agca shot the pope in St. The pope was seriously injured, but quickly asked people to pray for the man who had shot him.

He later met personally with Agca to extend his forgiveness. The responsorial psalms for this Mass all have a focus on the theme of mercy. Pope John Paul II was also a teacher, writing many important documents that educated people about the faith.