Biography

• Karol Józef Wojtyla was born on 18th May 1920 in Wadowice.
• At the age of 9 years he took his First Holy Communion and was confirmed at the age of 18. After A-levels he was admitted in 1938 to the Jagellonen University in Krakau and to drama school; later he attended courses at the forbidden seminary in Krakau.#
• After World War II he carried on with his studies and was ordained a priest on 1st November 1946. In 1948 he was conferred a doctorate in Theology with a thesis on the subject of ‘the Doctrine of Faith According to St. John of the Cross’.
• On 4th July 1958 Pope Pius XII appointed him to auxiliary bishop of Krakau; on 28th September he was ordained to the Episcopate.
• On 13th January 1964 he was appointed Archbishop of Krakau by Pope Paul VI, who also appointed him as Cardinal on 26th June 1967. In addition to his participation in the Second Vatican Council, to which he made an important contribution in the compilation of the Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes) Cardinal Wojtyla participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
• On 16th October 1978 Cardinal Prof. Dr. Karol Józef Wojtyla became the first non-Italian Head of the Catholic Church since 1522. With the power of words Pope John Paul II left a lasting impression on the European continent as no other personage of his time. And with the power of words he has addressed more people personally, reached more people and fascinated more people than anyone before him.
• Died on 2nd April 2005.