Biography of Pope John Paul the Second
The most recognised man in the world, His Holiness Pope John Paul II was born in Wadowice, Poland on the 18th May, 1920.
When he was born he was given the name Karol Jozef Wojtyla, Karol after his father and Jozef after the father of Jesus Christ. He was referred to affectionately as Lolek.
By the age of 21 the Pope had experienced great loss with the deaths of all the immediate members of his family.
His mother died when he was only 8 years old, his elder brother, a doctor, when he was 12 and his father when he was just 21. His father had dreamed of seeing his son enter the priesthood, but unfortunately he did not live to see him become a priest.
As a schoolboy the Pope was an excellent student and an enthusiastic athlete – he skied, hiked, kayaked and swam.
The Pope’s family were strict Catholics, but he had Christian friends and Jewish friends – in a time when many behaved in a racist manner towards Jewish people.
After graduating from high school the Pope attended the university in Krakow. While at university studying Literature and Philosophy, he also joined a theatre company.
In 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The Nazis closed libraries, and universities – including the one where the Pope studied. They shot people for going to the theatre and even for speaking the Polish language. They even shot priests who opposed them. The Pope also saw his Jewish friends and neighbours being herded into the ghetto. During this time the Pope worked in a quarry and a chemical factory while he studied Theology in secret.
“Any day I could have been picked up on the street, at the factory or at the stone quarry and sent to a concentration camp. Sometimes I asked myself: ‘So many people at my age were losing their lives, why not me?’”.
When the Seminary in Krakow re-opened after the war the Pope continued his studies and he was ordained on the 1st November, 1946. Learning was important to the Pope and over the next few years he obtained a number of degrees.
As a young priest in Poland the Pope defied the Communist authorities. Privately he advised and encouraged political activists. He developed a Catholic newspaper that conveyed views that opposed those of the communist government. He founded secret clubs for Catholic intellectuals and ran an underground seminary for future priests from ne...
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...cognised their importance to the Holy Catholic Church by instituting World Youth day. The first gathering was in 1984 when he invited the youth to gather in Rome for a special celebration - an international jubilee of youth. The following year he invited the youth to come again to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Youth. He was so overwhelmed by the numbers that came that he decided to make it a regular celebration. World Youth Day is held every two years. This year the celebration is being held in Cologne, Germany.
The Pope had a large capacity to forgive. In 1981 he was shot in an assassination attempt. The Pope visited his would-be assassinator in gaol offering him his forgiveness.
Throughout his 26 papacy he worked tirelessly for mankind to bring peace and justice to the world. He reminded us of the value of individuals in the modern world.
In recent years we have seen the Pope struggle as his health has failed him, but he continued to meet the daily challenges of life. It was this humanity, his warmth as a human being and his ability to talk plainly that made people feel close to him, and this is why so many mourn throughout the world at this time.
He started off as Joseph Ratzinger, a kid from Germany who unwillingly served in the Nazi army and ended as Pope Emeritus Benedict, one of the most beloved Popes of all time. His life was a roller coaster, however it has now calmed down. He continues to spend his final days in the Vatican monastery where he continues to pray and follow in the footsteps of Christ while he waits for inevitable the time when he will join Jesus Christ in heaven.
through the ranks of the church and had the utmost respect of the people of
I am about to talk about the life of Pope John Paul II, and how he was the first non-Italian pope in over four hundred years. He has been declared a Saint some people say. He was also one of the vocal advocates for human rights. He spoke for the people he loved and the God he loved.
Pope Francis, the 266th pope, spreads his kindness throughout the world through his humility and approachability. He travels the world, supporting the poor and unfortunate. Pope Francis has served as both archbishop and cardinal for more than 12 years. This definitely shows his dedication to follow God's teachings and spread it everywhere he can.
He loves being able to celebrate mass everyday and “enrich his relationship with the Lord.” He is able to use his gifts to walk with many in the community through hard times such as parents who loose their children or vice versa. With God’s guidance he can bring them to a place of understanding and peace. This past Holy week he was given the opportunity to give the homily for the Youth Rally mass. Being able to preach and exhibit a faithful fatherhood to over thirteen hundred youths was immensely exciting. He was luckily given the chance to expand his wings and further his call to not only priesthood, but
Alexander went to study with Thomas Deane, a convert to Catholicism who lost his position at Oxford as a result of his religious beliefs. After the Pope family moved to Bin field Alexander became self-taught.
In 1483, when Nicolaus was 10 years old his father died. His mother’s brother, his uncle, took guardianship of him and his three siblings. His uncle, Lucas Watzenrode, was a well- respected Cleric who would eventually become bishop of Warmia. His uncle valued both the church and education and made it a priority that Nicolaus receive a good education as well as advancing in the church.
Martin Luther was university educated and he wanted to become a lawyer. However, he credited God for saving him from a violent thunderstorm in his youth and later in life he decided to honor God by becoming a monk. Martin Luther’s greatest work was the 95 Thesis that he released in 1517.(Martin Luther) He na...
Martin Luther was born to Hans Luder and his wife Margarethe on November tenth, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Since he was his father’s firstborn, his father wanted him to pursue being a lawyer, which was a good job even at that time. However, since his school focused mainly on persuasive speaking and writing, grammar, and logic, Luther came to despise it. The only aspect of it that he appreciated was that it sparked him into having an early interest in monastic life. He then went on to go to the University of Erfurt, where he learned arithmetic, astronomy, geometry and philosophy. (wikepedia.org) He graduated and received a master’s degree in 1505. (History.com staff. Martin Luther and the 95 Theses)
From 1940 to 1941 his holiness did various jobs, but it was during this time period that he was seriously contemplating priesthood. In 1942 John Paul II started studying at the underground seminary run by the Archbishop of Krakow, and during this time he was hit by a truck and recovered in a matter of two weeks. To him, this was a confirmation of his vocation. Once the war was finished, the future pope was ordained priest and was then sent to Rome for further studies. After a two year time period in Rome, His Holy Father received his doctorate in theology and returned to Poland.
of the science and he never betrayed the catholic. Frankly speaking, he is a qualified Catholic.
Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. He died in 1226, at the age of 44.
Padre Pio, whose real name was Francesco Forgione was born on May 25, 1887 in Pietralcina, a small town in southern Italy. Every since he was a child he has always showed love towards the religious life. It is said that at the age of 5 Padre Pio had already dedicated his life to God. He had an extreme love for prayer. At the age of sixteen he entered the ‘Capuchin Friars’ which are a religious order in memory of St. Francis of Assisi. From the first time Padre Pio had entered into the Friary he was already recognized by his teachers as someone special. “There was something which distinguished him from the other students, whenever I saw him he was always humble and silent”, one of his peers had said. What struck them most was Padre Pio’s love for prayer. In the year 1910 at the age of 23 Padre Pio had been ordained a priest.
Saint Francis of Assisi was a uniquely spiritual man who gave up a life of wealth and position to lead a life of poverty in accordance and service to God. Embracing a life according to the Gospels, Francis went on to establish a Monastic Order, known as the Franciscans. In the midst of the political climate within the religious community of Italy, Francis emerged a champion for the poor and sick, with humility and no regard for himself. Francis exhibited his love for God through his love and admiration for all of God's creation including nature. The principles of Saint Francis are as relevant today as they were in thirteenth century Italy; service and love to all of God’s creation.
Born in 1483 in Saxony, Eisleben Luther originally studied law before turning to the religious field. In 1505 he joined the monastery of the Augustinian friars at Efurt and was ordained as a priest in 1507. Luther went on to study at the University of Wittenberg where he would later become a professor. L...