| NOME: |
| Karol Joseph Wojtyla |
| CONOSCIUTO COME: |
| Papa Giovanni Paolo II |
| NATO: |
| Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920 |
| PONTEFICE: |
| Il 254° |
|
About Pope John
Paul II
Reading his palm >>
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Born Karol Joseph Wojtyla (pronounced Voy-tee-wah) in
Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920 to an administrative officer in the Polish army
and a former schoolteacher.
In 1978, at the age of 58 the College of Cardinals elected him to lead the Roman
Catholic Church.
He was the first non-italian chosen as Pope in 456 years and the youngest in this
century.
At age 61 he suffered serious wounds during an assassination attempt.
Pope John Paul II (1920- ) is said to be the most recognized person in the world.
He is the most traveled Pope in the 2,000 year history of the Church and speaks
eight languages.
John Paul II was the most widely traveled pontiff ever, having visited 118 countries
in all the continents except Antarctica.
By the time he made his historic visit to Cuba in early 1998, he had logged more
than 600,000 miles of travel.
In 1986, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to visit a Jewish
synagogue. There he spoke of how he deplored the "hatred and persecution"
of the Jews throughout the centuries. In 1993, the pope presided over the establishment
of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel.
Pope John Paul II
| DATA |
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BORN May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland
1946 Ordained as priest
1956 Named professor of ethics at Lublin University
1958 Becomes auxiliary bishop of Cracow
1963 Appointed archbishop
1967 Named to the College of Cardinals
1978 Elected Pope
1979 Makes papal visit to his homeland
1981 Wounded by assassin
1998 Meets Castro and celebrates Mass in Cuba
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Reading his palm >>
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