John Paul II, was born on May 18, 1920, was elected pope on Oct. 16, 1978, succeeding John Paul I. His name was Karol Josef Wojtyla. John Paul II is the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century. During his pontificate he has traveled more extensively than any of his predecessors, preaching to millions of people on 6 continents and in more than 50 nations.
The son of a Polish army officer, Karol Wojtyla was born in Wadowice, Poland. He attended an underground seminary during the World War II German occupation and was ordained a priest in 1946. After studying…
