St John Paul II
Celebrated on October 22nd
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‘Do not be afraid’ was the most often-used Biblical quote of Pope John Paul II.
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small town 50 kilometres from Krakow, on 18 May, 1920. He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. Karol was baptized on 20 June, 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age nine and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.
The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany. In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyła was one of the pioneers of the underground ‘Rhapsodic Theatre’.
After the war he continued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on 1 November, 1946. Shortly afterwards, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the subject of faith in the works of St John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants in France, Belgium and Holland.
In 1948 he returned to Poland and served in several parishes in Krakow as well as being chaplain to university students. In 1951 when he returned to studying philosophy and theology. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin. On 4 July, 1958, he was appointed titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated on 28 September 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak. On 13 January, 1964, he was appointed archbishop of Krakow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal on 26 June, 1967.
Besides taking part in Vatican Council II (1962-1965) where he made an important contribution to drafting the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyła participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
The Cardinals elected him Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On Sunday 22 October, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to St Peter. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.
(ctd below)
Celebrated on October 22nd
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
‘Do not be afraid’ was the most often-used Biblical quote of Pope John Paul II.
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small town 50 kilometres from Krakow, on 18 May, 1920. He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. Karol was baptized on 20 June, 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age nine and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.
The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany. In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyła was one of the pioneers of the underground ‘Rhapsodic Theatre’.
After the war he continued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on 1 November, 1946. Shortly afterwards, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the subject of faith in the works of St John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants in France, Belgium and Holland.
In 1948 he returned to Poland and served in several parishes in Krakow as well as being chaplain to university students. In 1951 when he returned to studying philosophy and theology. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin. On 4 July, 1958, he was appointed titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated on 28 September 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak. On 13 January, 1964, he was appointed archbishop of Krakow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal on 26 June, 1967.
Besides taking part in Vatican Council II (1962-1965) where he made an important contribution to drafting the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyła participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
The Cardinals elected him Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On Sunday 22 October, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to St Peter. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.
(ctd below)
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