After the death of Pope Paul VI, Albino Luciani was appointed the next Pope – Pope Paul John I. Pope John Paul II was the longest serving pope of the 20th century. This was the beatification of Carlo Acutis, Trial begins for abuse committed on Vatican territory, Pope Francis invites children worldwide to pray global rosary against pandemic, Vatican opens first trial against priest accused of abuse on its territory, Pope entrusts Marcello Semeraro and Fridolin Ambongo with strategic tasks, Pope launches Global Compact on Education, calls for universal access to quality education. One year later, Pope Paul VI consecrated him Archbishop of Krakow. Pope John Paul II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla on 18 May 1920, in Wadowice, Second Polish Republic, to Karol Wojtyla sr. and Emilia Kaczorowska, a school teacher in Wadowice, Poland. He passed away in his private apartment on 2 April 2005 due to heart failure from profound hypotension and circulatory collapse from septic shock, 46 days prior to his 85th birthday. The latter credited the Pope with the collapse of the Iron Wall, and said that it could not have been possible without his involvement. Saint John Paul II Biography. He was harshly criticized by doctors and AIDS activists for his views on artificial birth control and the usage of condoms to prevent the spreading of HIV. In the Jubilee for the Year 2000, John Paul II formally apologized for the Church's past errors. This trip uplifted the spirit of the nation and instigated the solidarity movement of 1980. On October 22, 1978, his … In June 1979, he visited his homeland Poland, where he was welcomed by an ecstatic crowd. Four kings, five queens, over 70 presidents and prime ministers, and more than 14 religious leaders attended the funeral. He became the voice of humanity, actively advocating against violence. During his pontificate, several major conflicts made international headlines: Rwanda, Kosovo, Sudan, Iraq and the Balkan wars. He also prayed before the Western Wall. One of the greatest challenges was the Cold War, and the two blocs that pitted the world against each other. Even if you combine the sum total of all the places visited by the other popes, it would not cross this figure. Gradually, Poland witnessed its downfall after a struggle of ten years. In 2001, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the news was officially acknowledged by Vatican in 2003. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. John Paul II understood that young people needed special attention and guardianship. Pope John Paul II ranks third among all popes, in years as pontiff. He also worked in a chemical factory. Creation of the World Youth Days, from the Redemption Jubilee of 1983. You can get more information on CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. Finally, he celebrated a Mass at the Holy Sepulcher. The founder of ‘Solidarity’ accredited the Pope for giving Poles the courage to rise up and stand for their rights. Your email address will not be published. Adrian VI (1522-23) was born in the Netherlands. Through his twenty-seven years of papacy, he was acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20 th century. The assailant was Spanish priest Juan María Fernández y KrohnMar who claimed that the Pope was an agent of the Communist Moscow. The next closest was Pius XII, who was pope for 19 years (1939-1958). Stand up! Never restricting himself to the comforts and safety of Vatican, he pushed the boundaries of religion, culture, caste, and creed to spread the message of ‘God’ and apologized for the wrong-doing and sufferings inflicted by the Catholic Church over the centuries. Starting from February 1, 2005, he was in and out of hospital.