Lives of the Saints: St. John Paul II

Some of us may be too young to remember the days of Pope John Paul II. Others of us may still think of him when we hear mention of the papacy-after all, he was pope for 27 years! No matter how we think of him, as of April 2014, all of us now call him a saint.

Born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, Pope John Paul II began his career as an academic, studying in a secret seminary in Krakow in the shadows of World War II, under the reign of the Communist Party. After being ordained to the priesthood, Father Wojtyla earned doctorates in theology and philosophy, and began teaching at Poland’s University of Lublin. The communist government permitted the appointment of Father Wojtyla as auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958, and when Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Wojtyla traveled to Rome to attend all four sessions. He was named archbishop of Krakow in 1964 and became a cardinal in 1967.

In 1978-the year of three popes-Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected as the 263rd successor to the first pope, Peter. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Having been instrumental in crafting one of Vatican II’s most important documents, “Gaudium et Spes,” which reflected on the Church’s role in the modern world, it is no surprise that Pope John Paul II’s papacy had such a global impact.

Pope John Paul II visited 124 countries-more than any prior pope. His trips expressed his love and concern for the poor, and he demanded of world leaders a greater respect for the dignity of human life. His visit home to Poland in 1979 encouraged leaders there to work to rid their country of communism, and Pope John Paul II is credited with playing a key role in the downfall of the Soviet Union. He was passionate about interfaith and interreligious initiatives, establishing diplomatic ties between the Holy See and Israel. He not only improved Catholic-Jewish relations but also-during a 2001 trip to Syria-Catholic-Muslim relations. He also worked to foster dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. He saw in young people great potential to spread the faith, and so he began World Youth Day, where the pope meets with young (and old) Catholics in cities around the world.

In his encyclical “On Social Concerns,” St. John Paul II leaves us with an important reflection on what real global solidarity looks like: “[Solidarity] is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.”

It’s easy to forget that although we share one common faith, our brothers and sisters in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo express their beliefs differently than we do. St. John Paul II started out serving Catholics in his native Poland and later served Catholics in every country around the world-a task that demanded much prayerful discernment. Do we at times forget that the Catholic faith goes beyond our U.S.-based concerns? How do we remember and validate the religious experiences-and priorities-of our brothers and sisters in countries that are radically different from ours?