Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 1920–2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century and the third longest-serving pope in history. He was also an important philosopher and theologian of the 20th century, known for his travels, his efforts to improve relations with other faiths, and his role in opposing communist rule in Poland and Europe.
Early life
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Wadowice, Poland, and grew up in a family marked by early loss. His mother died when he was eight, and his brother, a physician, died of scarlet fever. As a young man he worked as a stage actor and studied at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. During the Nazi occupation he took manual and factory jobs to avoid deportation, and in this period he met Jan Tyranowski, who introduced him to Carmelite spirituality.
Papacy and legacy
Elected in October 1978, he took the name of his predecessor, John Paul I, who had died after 33 days as pope. His pontificate emphasised ecumenism and the family, and he maintained the Church's traditional positions on issues such as abortion and the ordination of women. He travelled to 129 countries and beatified and canonised many people. He is credited by supporters with helping end communist rule in Europe, while critics have faulted his handling of sexual abuse by priests. He was beatified in 2011 and canonised in 2014.