Pope John Paul II
Date of birth: 1920-05-18
Place of birth: Wadowice, Poland
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Karol Józef Wojtyła, Bishop of Rome, Jan Paweł Drugi, Papež Jan Pavel II., Karol Wojtyła
Biography
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła [ˈkarɔl ˈjuzɛv vɔjˈtɨwa]; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was elected pope by the second papal conclave of 1978, which was called after Pope John Paul I, who had been elected in August to succeed Pope Paul VI, died after 33 days. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected on the third day of the conclave and adopted the name of his predecessor in tribute to him. John Paul II is recognised as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and the rest of Europe. John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. He upheld the Church's teachings on such matters as the right to life, artificial contraception, the ordination of women, and a celibate clergy, and although he supported the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, he was seen as generally conservative in their interpretation. He was one of the most travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 and canonised 483 people, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. By the time of his death, he had named most of the College of Cardinals, consecrated or co-consecrated many of the world's bishops, and ordained many priests. John Paul II was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX. Born in Poland, John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since the 16th-century Pope Adrian VI. John Paul II's cause for canonisation commenced one month after his death with the traditional five-year waiting period waived. On 19 December 2009, John Paul II was proclaimed venerable by his successor, Benedict XVI, and was beatified on 1 May 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed one miracle to his intercession, the healing of a French nun called Marie Simon Pierre from Parkinson's disease. A second miracle was approved on 2 July 2013, and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later. John Paul II was canonised on 27 April 2014 (again Divine Mercy Sunday), together with Pope John XXIII. On 11 September 2014, Pope Francis added these two optional memorials to the worldwide General Roman Calendar of saints. It is traditional to celebrate saints' feast days on the anniversary of their deaths, but that of John Paul II (22 October) is celebrated on the anniversary of his papal inauguration. Posthumously, he has been referred to by some Catholics as "St. John Paul the Great", although the title has no official recognition.
Movie Credits
Favela do Papa
2023-04-02
The film shows the resistance movement of the residents of Favela do Vidigal against the removal ord
Nine Days That Changed The World
2010-06-01
Pope John Paul II's historic nine-day pilgrimage to Poland in June of 1979
"Do not be afraid". The Life and Teachings of Pope John Paul II
1996-01-01
May 13, 1981, afternoon. A general audience with the head of the Church is taking place in St. Mark'
I Trust in You
2016-06-26
A film about God's mercy being poured out on the whole world because He is a loving God who seeks an
Pielgrzym
1979-11-03
The documentary presents Pope John Paul II's first pilgrimage to Poland, which took place in 1979.
Papież z Polski
1979-01-01
Ceremonies marking the inauguration of Pope John Paul II's pontificate in Rome in October 1978.
Credo...
1983-01-01
Report from the Holy Father's second pilgrimage to Poland in 1983.
Odwagi, ja jestem
1987-01-01
Report from the Holy Father's third pilgrimage to Poland in 1987.
La libertad remonta el estadio
1987-07-16
On Thursday, April 2, 1987, thousands of young people came to the National Stadium in Santiago de Ch
Nothing Compares
2022-09-23
Since the beginning of her career, Sinéad O’Connor has used her powerful voice to challenge the narr
Vedete, sono uno di voi
2017-03-16
The film is the personal story of a protagonist of our times and traces Carlo Martini's actions and
Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon
1982-01-01
Musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti recorded more than 60 albums to promote the magic of Afrobeat but never
Fatima
1984-01-01
This 60-minute documentary uses the reported miracle at Fatima in 1917 as a springboard for an exami
Geheimauftrag Pontifex – Der Vatikan im Kalten Krieg
2015-05-20
The Papal Chase
2004-12-02
The Papal Chase is a guerrilla documentary feature that captures one man's obsession to meet the Pop
Expectation
2002-12-22
To the memory of the visit of the Pope John-Paul II to Armenia.
Banal
2008-01-01
Cris and Jason are two policemen with two opposite personalities and philosophies-Cris is the epitom
Tell No One
2019-05-11
Polish documentary directed by Tomasz Sekielski about child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in P
Hostage to the Devil
2016-10-31
This documentary examines age-old questions about the existence of the Devil and good versus evil, t
The Mystery of Padre Pio
2018-11-23
The documentary offers testimonies and documents never disclosed about the plot against its protagon
Hesburgh
2019-04-26
He counseled presidents and popes, served on corporate boards and infuriated Richard Nixon. He was
Atentado
1990-07-01
An elite group of police must stop international terrorists from killing Pope John Paul II during hi
Being Jacques Chirac
2006-05-31
Since 1967, Jacques Chirac has appeared everyday on television : millions of hours of automatic gest
John Paul II in Ireland: A Plea for Peace
2018-09-21
A look back at 1979, when the Pope visited Ireland in hopes of ending violence and praying for all t
Solidarność: How Solidarity Changed Europe
2019-10-01
Gdańsk, Poland, September 1980. Lech Wałęsa and other Lenin shipyard workers found Solidarność (Soli
1979: Big Bang of the Present
2019-12-10
Deng Xiaoping's economic and political opening in China. Margaret Thatcher's extreme economic measur
Panorama - The Secret Letters of Pope John Paul II
2016-02-15
Pope John Paul II ruled the Catholic Church for 27 years and was one of the most influential figures
Tajemnice Jana Pawła II
Lulú de noche
1986-02-20
German, a young theater director, tries to organize a theater play about Lulu, a prostitute that was
Don Stanislao
2020-11-09
Marcin Gutowski, the reporter of “Black and White” TVN24 showed in his report the unknown face of Ca
Jan Paweł II: Szukałem Was...
2011-03-11
Beijoqueiro: Portrait of a Serial Kisser
1992-01-13
The story of the portuguese serial kisser, who travelled the whole world searching famous people to
The Pink Wall
2011-05-01
The historical memory of torture, persecution and killings of homosexuals and lesbians in Spain duri
Naqoyqatsi
2002-09-02
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Powaqqatsi
1988-04-29
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style
The Polish Pope: Nation's Farewell
2025-04-02
Film explores the profound impact Pope John Paul II's death had on Polish society, both inside and o
One Step From Holiness
2019-01-01
A short doc. movie about Bono meeting with John Paul II.
New Hyperion or Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood
1992-04-06
From the behavior, discourse, and appearance of individual actors, Vachek composes, in the form of a
Apartament
2015-05-15
From home videos to interviews with his closest confidantes, this documentary reveals the unseen sid
A Farewell to Francis
2025-04-21
As the world mourns Pope Francis, Mary Kennedy explores his journey from Argentina to the Vatican, e