Pope Yohanes Paulus II

After the death of Yohanes Paulus I in September 1978, Karol Jozef Wojtyla was chosen at the eighth round election. It happened in the afternoon at October 16th 1978. Karol Jozef Wojtyla known as Yohanes Paulus II born in the little town, 50 KM far away from Cracow, Poland at May 18th 1920. He is the youngest of the two sons of Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowka. His mother died when he was born, the second child, in 1929. His brother, named Edmund, died in 1932 and his Father died in 1941.

In 1942, in the middle of the war, Wojtyla wanted to be a priest. For that reason, he studied in the Cracow Seminary which organized secretly by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, Archbishop of Cracow. At the end of World War II, he continued his college in the Cracow Central Seminary, Faculty of Theology, Jagiellonian University.

Soon after becoming a Priest, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome, where he studied under the guidance of Garrigou-Lagrange, a French Dominican. In 1948, he came back to Poland and acted as Vicaris in Cracow also he became a student priest until 1951. At July 4th 1958, Priest Wojtyla became assistant of Bishop in Cracow and was consecrated as Bishop at September 28th 1958 in Wawel Kathedral, Cracow by Archbishop. January 13th 1964, he was consecrated as Cracow Archbishop by Pope Paulus VI. Then at June 26th 1967, he became a Cardinal.

Pope Yohanes Paulus II took part on Koncili Vatican II which he formed Constitution Concept “Gaudium et Spes”. Also, he took part in the whole meetings of Bishop Sinode. As pope, he had done 104 pastoral visiting abroad ( outside Italy) and 146 pastoral visiting in Italy. His important documents are 14 ensiclic, 15 apostolic advice, 11 apostolic constitution, and 45 apostolic letters. He also published 5 books: Varcare la Soglia della Speranza, October 1994, Dono e Mistero, November 1996, Tritiko Romano (a meditation), a collection of poems , Alzatevi, andiamo!, Mei 2004 and Memoria e Identita, 2005. He also held many meetings with official states, states’ leaders, and prime ministers. Until his last life at April 2nd 2005, he had already done his glorious’ work as the highest keeper 1,1 billion catholic’s municipality during 26 years and 5 months, the third longest profession of pope after St. Petrus, Rasul, and Pius Pope.

Many humans were helped by him. Along with his conduct as a pope he had already done renewal of the church and world. This pope is different from the others who were more idle in Rome. He was a pope who did more journeys from 115 countries, including Indonesia(1989). In 1994, Time magazine chose him as Man of the year, because he had already touched the hearts of many people. But, a Turkish man, whose name is Mehmet Ali Agca, had tried to shoot him two times in Santo Petrus field (1981). After that he visited the shooter in jail and forgave him. At that time Agca asked that how come he could not kill him.

He is really a pope who is pleasant by anybody, and always has people who do not like even to fight him. He often notify dangerous from materialistic. He confirmed that materialism is not the answer from the world. He also refused a war including America’s request for other nations to help Afghanistan and Iraq. He also condemned abortion because the baby in pregnancy is new life that must be defended.