Pope John Paul II
Karol Wojtyła, the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian in over four centuries, reigned for almost twenty-seven years. He travelled to 129 countries, began World Youth Day, published the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and helped bring about the peaceful fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. Read his full life on the page for Saint John Paul II.
- Pontificate
- 16 October 1978 – 2 April 2005 (26 years, 5 months)
- Birth name
- Karol Józef Wojtyła
- Born
- 18 May 1920, Wadowice, Poland
- Died
- 2 April 2005, Rome
- Preceded by
- Pope John Paul I
- Succeeded by
- Pope Benedict XVI
- Read more
- Wikipedia