John Paul The Second's Life And Death

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Pope John Paul II, had been the leader of the Roman Catholic Church since 1978. Before his death he had assumed a greater political role in world affairs than any other Pope in recent history. He was fluent in eight languages, and was a frequent traveler of the world and was the first Pope in over 60 years to visit an Islamic country. Pope John Paul II has extended his influence in farthest reaches of the world. He became the most influential promoter for peace and human rights in the last two decades. Through his life and death no one man has had more influence in more people's life then John Paul II. John Paul II was know by many names: The Pope, The Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of St. Peter, Prince of Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, he was know to his parents as Karol Jozef Wojtyla. He was the second of two sons born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. He was born on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, a town small town of 8,000 other Catholics families. There was also a fairly high Jewish population in Wadowice which would later lead to John Pauls improving relations between Catholics and Jews His father was a retired army officer and his mother was a teacher. A week before his 9th birthday his mother passed away just before giving birth to a third child due to heart and kidney problems. Three years later his older passed away at the age of 26 because of scarlet fever, a skin infection like strep throat that causes rashes that's rarely fatal.

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