When was Pope John Paul II born?

Pope John Paul II was born on 18 May 1920 in Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice.

What positions has Pope John Paul II held?

Positions held by Pope John Paul II include: Pope (1978–2005); Vice-President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (1969–1978); San Cesareo in Palatio (1967–2005); cardinal (1967–2005); Archbishop of Kraków (1964–1978).

Where did Pope John Paul II study?

Pope John Paul II was educated at Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Theology faculty of the Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

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Pope John Paul II

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Pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, author

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Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third longest-serving pope in history, after St. Peter and Pius IX. In addition to this, he was an important philosopher and theologian of the 20th century.

Quick facts

Born: 18 May 1920 wd
Place of birth: Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice wd
Died: 2 April 2005 wd
Place of death: Rome wd
Citizenship: Poland, Vatican City wd
Occupation: transitional deacon, Latin Catholic priest, latin catholic deacon, Catholic bishop, poet, politician wd
Education: Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Theology faculty of the Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin wd
Official website: vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/index.htm wd

Positions held wd

Pope (16 October 1978 – 2 April 2005)
Vice-President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (1969–1978)
San Cesareo in Palatio (28 June 1967 – 2 April 2005)
cardinal (26 June 1967 – 2 April 2005)
Archbishop of Kraków (13 January 1964 – 16 October 1978)
titular bishop (31 August 1958 – 13 January 1964)
titular bishop (4 July 1958 – 31 August 1958)
auxiliary bishop (4 July 1958 – 13 January 1964)

Awards wd

Order of the Smile
Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of Pius IX
Order of the Golden Spur
Armia Krajowa Cross
honorary doctor of the Jagiellonian University of Krakow
Knight of St. Sylvester
honorary citizen of Łódź
Order Ecce Homo
Aquinas Medal (1979)
Gold Olympic Order (1981)
Gold medal of Galicia (1992)
Order of the White Eagle (1993)
Time Person of the Year (1994)
Order of Bethlehem (2000)

About

In his youth, Wojtyła worked occasionally as a stage actor. He graduated from an all-boys high school in Wadowice, Poland in 1938, shortly before World War II broke out. During the war, to avoid being kidnapped and sent to a German forced labour camp, he signed up for work in harsh conditions in a quarry. Wojtyła eventually took up acting and developed a love for the profession and participated at a local theatre. The linguistically skilled Wojtyła wanted to study Polish in university. During his studies, he was encouraged by a conversation with Adam Stefan Sapieha to study theology and become a priest. Eventually, Wojtyła rose to the position of Archbishop of Kraków and then to cardinal, both positions held by his mentor. Wojtyła was elected pope on the third day of the October 1978 conclave, becoming one of the youngest popes in more than a century. The conclave was called after the death of John Paul I, who served only 33 days as pope. Wojtyła adopted the name of his predecessor in tribute to him.

Pope John Paul II attempted to improve the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the spirit of ecumenism, holding atheism as the greatest threat. He maintained the Church's previous positions on such matters as abortion, 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 conventional in…

Questions

When was Pope John Paul II born?: Pope John Paul II was born on 18 May 1920 in Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice.
What positions has Pope John Paul II held?: Positions held by Pope John Paul II include: Pope (1978–2005); Vice-President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (1969–1978); San Cesareo in Palatio (1967–2005); cardinal (1967–2005); Archbishop of Kraków (1964–1978).
Where did Pope John Paul II study?: Pope John Paul II was educated at Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Theology faculty of the Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

Sources

Last updated 3 November 2026 · facts checked 4 November 2026

Cite this page

"Pope John Paul II". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-john-paul-ii. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Pope John Paul II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Pope John Paul II smile.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY 3.0 pl.

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