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Pope John Paul II

by Stephanie from Blue Sky

"Christ is calling you, the Church needs you, the Pope believes in you, and he expects great things of you! Even though you are young, the time for action is now! It is time to let your light shine!"

Many in our world believe that Pope John Paul II was an outstanding world leader. The Catholic Church believes that he was a living saint. For teens and young adults, he was a sign of hope in a world of desperation. To me, he was a great role model and a hero. He has made me realize how important love and forgiveness are. One example that impressed me greatly is when he reached out to the man who attempted to assassinate him. His actions truly reflect his beliefs.

Karol Wojtyla was born in Poland on May 18, 1920. He grew up during a time when Poland's freedom was taken by the Nazis and communists. He attended Jagiellonian University in 1938, and the next year Nazi occupation closed the school and Karol was forced to do labor in order to make a living and avoid being deported to Germany. In 1942 he continued his studies in a secret seminary of Krakow, where he was ordained priest. He showed great leadership skills and encouraged religious freedom. Eventually this led to him becoming bishop and in 1963 he was made archbishop of Krakow.

Karol saw many injustices, but never lost faith. He showed unfaltering bravery and courage standing up to the communist leaders in his country. He inspired the people of Poland, and gave them courage to take action and face their leaders head on. This resulted in the fall of communist rule in Poland. He was made cardinal on June 26, 1967 and the cardinals elected him Pope on October 16, 1978, when he took the name John Paul II.

Driven by his sense of openness to Catholics and non-Catholics alike, John Paul II showed a tireless missionary spirit. He visited over 100 countries, and remains the most-traveled world leader in history. His love for young people gave him energy. He established the World Youth Days in 1986 to celebrate the faith of young Catholics worldwide. He promises that, through Christ, young men and women will not only work toward building a better world, but find the truths and values on which to build their own happiness.

Pope John Paul II preaches one message; love, to the entire world. He asks everyone to be bearers of hope in a world filled with frequent desperation. He has truly had an impact on my life. I am proud to be a catholic, and to say that John Paul II is my hero, and my "Papa".

Page created on 10/15/2007 4:49:14 PM

Last edited 10/15/2007 4:49:14 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

The Vatican - provides information on the vatican and a biography of the pope.
American Catholic - provides biographies about the popes and saints.
Catholic Online - views the history of popes.

Extra Info

Read more about John Paul II in "An Invitation to Joy" a book by Greg Burke.