In 1978, the 264th Pope, John Paul II, became the first pope of non-Italian origin on the Holy See, elected in the last 455 years (Adrian VI, who became pope in 1523, was Dutch by birth), one of the youngest pontiffs in history, and the first Pope of Slavic origin.

In terms of the duration of his pontificate, he is second only to Pope Pius IX (-).

Anti-communist and conservative

An entire era is associated with the name of John Paul II - the era of the collapse of communism in Europe - and for many in the world it was he who became its symbol along with Mikhail Gorbachev.

In his post, John Paul II proved to be a tireless fighter both against communist ideas and against the negative aspects of the modern capitalist system - the political and social oppression of the masses. His public speeches in support of human rights and freedoms have made him a symbol of the struggle against authoritarianism throughout the world.

Being a staunch conservative, the pope resolutely defended the foundations of the dogma and social doctrine of the Catholic Church, inherited from the past. In particular, John Paul II strongly condemned the “Liberation Theology”, a mixture of Christianity and Marxism, which was fashionable among some Latin American Catholics, and excommunicated priest Ernesto Cardenal, who became part of the Sandinista government of Nicaragua.

The Catholic Church under John Paul II took a hard line on abortion and contraceptives. In 1994, the Vatican thwarted the UN's adoption of a US-suggested resolution to support family planning. John Paul II spoke out strongly against homosexual marriage and euthanasia, against the ordination of women as priests, and also supported celibacy.

At the same time, while maintaining the fundamental canons of faith, he proved the ability of the Catholic Church to develop along with civilization, recognizing the achievements of scientific and technological progress and even appointing Saint Isidore of Seville as the patron of the Internet.

Repentance of the Catholic Church

John Paul II, among his predecessors, is distinguished only by repentance for the mistakes committed by some Catholics in the course of history. Even during the Second Vatican Council in 1962, the Polish bishops, together with Karol Wojtyla, published a letter to the German bishops about reconciliation with the words: "We forgive and ask for forgiveness." And already as a pope, John Paul II brought repentance on behalf of the Western Christian Church for the crimes of the times crusades and the inquisition.

In October 1986, the first interreligious meeting took place in Assisi, when 47 delegations from various Christian denominations, as well as representatives of 13 other religions, responded to the invitation of the pontiff to discuss the problems of interfaith relations.

Biography

Childhood and youth

Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born in Wadowice, in southern Poland, the son of a former Austrian army officer. He was the youngest of two children of Karol Wojtyla Sr. and Emilia Kaczorowska, who died when the future pope was only nine years old. Before reaching the age of 20, Karol Wojtyla Jr. was left an orphan.

Karol successfully studied. After graduating from the lyceum in 1938, on the eve of World War II, he entered the Faculty of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Then he became a member of "Studio 38" - a theater group. During the German occupation, in order to avoid deportation to Germany, he left his studies and worked in a quarry near Krakow, and then moved to a chemical plant.

Church ministry

Another conclave took place in October. The participants in the conclave were split into supporters of two Italian pretenders - Giuseppe Siri, Archbishop of Genoa, known for his conservative views, and more liberal Giovanni Benelli, Archbishop of Florence. Ultimately, Wojtyła emerged as a compromise candidate and was elected pope. Upon accession to the throne, Wojtyla took the name of his predecessor and became John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II

1970s

Like his predecessor, John Paul II tried to simplify his position, depriving her of many of the royal attributes. In particular, when speaking about himself, he used the pronoun I am instead of we as is customary among royalty. The pope abandoned the coronation ceremony, holding a simple inauguration instead. He did not wear the papal tiara and always sought to emphasize the role that is indicated in the title of the pope, Servus Servorum Dei (servant of the servants of God).

• January 24 - Pope John Paul II received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR Andrei Gromyko at his request, which was an unprecedented event, since there were no diplomatic relations between the USSR and the Vatican at that time, and everyone knew the pope's attitude towards the communist ideology and the obvious hostility of the Soviet power to Catholicism.

• January 25 - The Pope's pastoral trip to Mexico begins - the first of the pontiff's 104 trips abroad.

• March 4 - The first papal encyclical, Redemptor Hominis ("Jesus Christ, the Redeemer"), is published.

• March 6 - Pope John Paul II made a will, which he constantly reread, and which, with the exception of a few additions, remained unchanged.

• June 2 - Wojtyła came to his native Poland for the first time as head of the Roman Catholic Church. For the Poles, who were under the rule of an atheistic pro-Soviet regime, the election of their compatriot as pope was a spiritual impetus to the struggle and the emergence of the Solidarity movement. “Without him, communism would not have ended, or at least it would have happened much later and with more bloodshed,” the British newspaper Financial Times reported the words of the former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. During the entire period of the pontificate, John Paul II visited his homeland eight times. Perhaps the most important was the visit in 1983, when the country was still reeling from the shock caused by the imposition of martial law in December 1981. The communist authorities feared that the pope's visit would be used by the opposition. But the Pope did not give rise to accusations either then or on his next visit in 1987. With opposition leader Lech Walesa, for example, he met exclusively in private. V Soviet times the Polish leadership agreed to the arrival of the pope with the obligatory consideration of the reaction of the USSR. The then leader of Poland, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, agreeing to the pope's visit, wanted to show that he was first of all a Pole and a patriot, and only then a communist. Later, the pope played a big role in the fact that in the late 1980s the change of power in Poland took place without firing a shot. As a result of his dialogue with General Wojciech Jaruzelski, he peacefully transferred power to Lech Walesa, who received papal blessing for democratic reforms.

• June 28 - The first consistory of the pontificate was held, during which the pope presented red cardinal caps to 14 new "princes of the church".

• April 12 - John Paul II travels to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), where he speaks of the civil war in that former Yugoslav republic as a tragedy and a challenge for all of Europe. Mines were found along the path of the papal cortege.

• On August 24, the pope takes part in the World Catholic Youth Day in Paris, which brought together more than a million boys and girls.

• On September 27, the pontiff is present as a listener at a concert of rock stars in Bologna.

• June 29 - The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I made an official visit to the Vatican.

• August 27 - The Pope sends as a gift to the Russian Orthodox Church a copy of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which was kept in his personal chapel.

• February 1 - John Paul II was hastily taken to the Gemelli clinic in Rome due to acute laryngotracheitiscomplicated by spasmodic phenomena.

• February 23 - The last book written by the Pope, "Memory and Identity", appeared on the shelves of bookstores in Italy.

• 24 February – The pontiff was re-hospitalized, during which he underwent a tracheotomy.

• March 13 - The pope was discharged from the hospital and returned to the Vatican, but for the first time he was unable to take a direct part in the services of Holy Week.

• March 27 - The pontiff tried to address the faithful after Easter Mass from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square, but could not utter a word.

• March 30 - John Paul II made his last public appearance, but failed to greet the faithful who had gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.

• April 2 - John Paul II, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, arthritis and a number of other diseases, died at the age of 84 at 21:37 local time (GMT +2). In his last hours, a huge crowd of people gathered outside his Vatican residence, praying for relief from his suffering. According to the conclusion of the Vatican doctors, John Paul II died "from septic shock and cardiovascular collapse."

• April 8 - the funeral took place.

• April 14 - The Vatican hosted the premiere of the TV series Karol. The man who became the Pope." The premiere was planned for early April, but was postponed due to the death of the pontiff.

• April 17 - mourning for the deceased pope ended and the earthly term of government allotted to him officially ended. According to ancient custom, the personal seal of John Paul II and the ring, the so-called Pescatore (“Fisherman’s Ring”), with the image of the first pope, the Apostle Peter, were broken and destroyed. John Paul II certified official letters with a seal, personal correspondence with an imprint of a ring.

• April 18 - On the first day of the 2005 Papal Conclave, the Italian television channel Canale 5 began showing the TV series Karol. The man who became the Pope."

Responses to the Death of John Paul II

In Italy, Poland, Latin America, Egypt and many others, a three-day mourning was declared in connection with the death of John Paul II. Brazil - the world's largest Catholic country (120 million Catholics) - announced seven days of mourning, Venezuela - five days.

Political and spiritual leaders around the world responded to the death of John Paul II.

US President George W. Bush called him "a knight of freedom."

“I am sure that the role of John Paul II in history, his spiritual and political heritage are duly appreciated by mankind,” the telegram of condolences says. Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The deceased primate of the ancient Roman see was distinguished by devotion to the path chosen in his youth, an ardent will for Christian service and witness,” said Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

“We will never forget that he supported the oppressed peoples, including the Palestinians,” said Arab League spokesman Amra Musa, its general secretary.

The funeral ceremony of Pope John Paul II, held on April 8, 2005 in the Vatican St. Peter's Basilica, was based on liturgical texts and the provisions of the apostolic constitution approved by John Paul II in 1996.

On the night of April 8, the access of believers to St. Peter's Cathedral was terminated, and the body of John Paul II was placed in a cypress coffin (according to legend, the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was made from this tree) - the first of three due to the pontiff during the burial of coffins ( the other two are zinc and pine). Before closing the lid of the coffin, the face of John Paul II was covered with a special piece of white silk. According to tradition, a leather bag with coins issued during the years of the pontificate of John Paul II, and a metal pencil case with a scroll containing the life of John Paul II were placed in the coffin.

After the prayer, the coffin was transferred to the porch in front of the facade of St. Peter's, where at 10 am the cardinals celebrated the funeral mass. The funeral service was led by Joseph Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The liturgy was in Latin, but some parts were read in Spanish, English, French, as well as Swahili, Polish, German and Portuguese. Eastern patriarchs performed the funeral service for the pope in Greek.

At the end of the farewell ceremony, the body of John Paul II was transferred to the grotto of the Basilica (Cathedral) of St. Peter. John Paul II is buried next to the relics of the Holy Apostle Peter, in the Polish chapel (chapel) of the Mother of God of Czestochowa, the patron saint of Poland, not far from the chapel of the creators of the Slavic alphabet, Saints Cyril and Methodius, in the former grave of Pope John XXIII, whose ashes in connection with his canonization in 2000 it was moved from the crypt of St. Peter's to the cathedral itself. Chapel of the Mother of God of Czestochowa in 1982, at the insistence of John Paul II, was restored, decorated with the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary and images of Polish saints.

Beatification of John Paul II

In the Latin tradition, starting with the establishment of Pope Urban VIII of 1642, it is customary to distinguish between the process of being beatified (beatified) and saints (canonized). Later, under Pope Benedict XIV, requirements were established that the candidate must meet: his writings must comply with the teachings of the Church, the virtues he showed must be exceptional, and the facts of the miracle performed through his intercession must be documented or evidenced by witnesses.

For canonization, four documented miracles are required, which occurred through the prayer of believers to the deceased righteous man, for beatification - two. In the beatification of martyrs, the fact of a miracle is not required.

The issues of glorification are dealt with by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican, which studies the submitted materials and sends them, in case of a positive preliminary conclusion, for approval to the pope, after which the icon of the newly glorified is opened in St. Peter's Basilica.

John Paul II himself canonized more people as saints and blessed than all his predecessors combined. From 1594 (after the adoption by Sixtus V in 1588 of the apostolic constitution Immensa aeterni, concerning, in particular, issues of canonization) to 2004, 784 canonizations were made, of which 475 were during the pontificate of John Paul II. John Paul II numbered 1,338 people among the blessed.

Filmography

"Karol. The Man Who Became Pope

Multi-part television film (2005) produced in Italy and Poland, directed by Giacomo Battiato, composer Ennio Morricone (the title “Karol is the man who became Pope” is found in the press). The film is based on the book by Gianfranco Sviderkoski "The History of Karol: The Unknown Life of John Paul II".

"Karol. The Pope Who Remained Human

Multi-part television film (2006) produced in Italy, Poland, Canada, directed by Giacomo Battiato, composer Ennio Morricone (there is a title in the press "Karol - the Pope who remained a man").

"Certificate"

A feature film based on the book of memoirs of John Paul II "Life with Karol", which was written by the Pope's personal secretary - Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the current Archbishop of Krakow.

Encyclicals

Main article: List of encyclicals of Pope John Paul II

During his pontificate, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals on the social teachings of the Church, ecumenism, ecclesiology, pneumatology, morality and ethics.

Karol Jozef Wojtyla was a good skier. I have been skiing since childhood. As a student, he won amateur competitions. He kept his love for mountain skiing for the rest of his life. Being already the Pope, he rode incognito in the mountains of Terminillo (en: Monte Terminillo), not far from Rome.

It can be said without exaggeration that the atmosphere of anticipation from that day on embraced the whole world. A man from a communist country became a Pontiff, and his words - they, moreover, cannot be censored! - heard the inhabitants of all continents.
The words shook the world. The call "do not be afraid!" sounded like a challenge, they contained a stronger potential than military parades on Red Square. The broadcast from St. Peter's Cathedral was watched by a billion viewers! Even then, every witness of the inauguration - no matter who and where he was from and no matter what he believed - had no doubt that the world would no longer be the same.
From the vantage point of past years, the significance of the papal call is more clearly seen. It was “do not be afraid” that became the famous “brand name” of the pontificate of John Paul II today. And this is because, over time, the world became more and more convinced that such an unusual and “atypical Pope” achieved so much, so amazed the world. Obviously, he himself was not afraid ...

In a document published five months after his election to the Throne of St. Peter, John Paul II sets out to the world the main ideas he intends to serve as Pontiff. The encyclical is an assessment of the spiritual state of the modern world, seen through the eyes of the "young". And he makes a sad diagnosis. The Pope speaks of the 20th century as a century in which "people have prepared for people many delusions and sufferings." He makes it clear that this process has not been decisively stalled and expresses the hope that the creation of the UN will serve to the benefit of the definition and establishment of objective and inviolable human rights.
This theme - one of the foundations of the first Encyclical - has become a vivid characteristic of the entire pontificate of the Holy Father, who is often called the "Pope of Human Rights". It also contains many other important points that were developed in the subsequent years of the pontificate: the call to “have no more”, but “be more”; concern about the prevailing social injustice in the world; an indication of the gap between the progress of civilization and the development of morality and ethics.

"Redemptor hominis" is the quintessence of Christian humanism. As the Pope himself admitted, "he brought this theme with him to Rome." This is a colorful and beautiful presentation. No wonder: the author relatively recently (and with great regret) left literary activity, although, as shown further developments, and not forever. The Pope writes: “Deep amazement at the value and dignity of man is called the Gospel, that is, the Good News. It is also called Christianity."

Reluctantly, the authorities agreed to "let" the Pole Pope into his homeland. It was like a dream. The Poles felt that they were no longer disenfranchised witnesses of history, but also participants in it. The pilgrimage aroused enthusiasm among millions of Poles and touched the Pope himself, who was well aware that fellow countrymen see him as a harbinger of freedom. During the visit, John Paul II recalls the rich Christian heritage of Poland and that without Christianity there is no Poland and its culture.
In Gniezno, the Slav Pope recalled the right of the historical contribution to Europe of the countries of the eastern part of the continent; on the territory of the former Auschwitz concentration camp, he reflected on the evil of the 20th century and totalitarianism.
The Pope's pilgrimage in 1979 was not only a reminder to the communist authorities of the political freedom of the people. It is also, and perhaps above all, a great call to the conscience of one and all, not to say "no" to Christ and to remain faithful to the riches of Christianity.

Society expected this event with understandable interest. A pope from the East, a son of a country in which party functionaries have defined the framework of official culture for decades, arrives at the headquarters of a worldwide organization responsible for preserving and developing the cultural wealth of mankind. What will be shared with the world by someone who, through his work, is in a special way connected with the world of culture? What will the former actor, poet and playwright, outstanding thinker and friend of cultural figures say?
The papal speech is a "deep and wide appreciation" for all the cultural traditions of mankind; it is an expression of admiration for "the creative wealth of the human spirit, tireless work, the purpose of which is to preserve and strengthen the identity of man." Expressing confidence in the connection of religion - especially Christianity - with culture, as eloquently evidenced by the example of Europe, he reverently recalls the legacy of "other sources of religious, humanistic and ethical inspiration." The subsequent years of the pontificate will be characterized by an open and full recognition of all cultures.

The popemobile moves freely past sectors filled with pilgrims from all over the world. Dad managed to return the child to the parents, whom he hugged a moment before. Loud, dry crackling. The sound is repeated. Pigeons take off from the square. Pope's Secretary Fr. Stanisław Dziwisz was completely numb. He does not immediately understand what happened. He looks at the Pontiff: “He staggered, but no blood or wounds are visible. I asked him: "Where?" “In the stomach,” he replied. I also asked, “Does it hurt a lot?” - "Yes…""

Assassination attempt. An unexpected event. Not a document, not an undertaking, not a meeting or a pilgrimage - and yet one of the most important events of the Pontificate, surrounded by mysterious circumstances. Starting with the fact that John Paul II survived. The bullet passed by a few millimeters the organs, the damage of which is incompatible with life. She did, according to Andre Frossard, “a completely improbable path in the body.”
Miracle? For the Pope, the assassination attempt was a new proof of the patronage of the Mother of God, to whom he devoted his ministry, and it was not by chance that he inscribed the words “Totus Tuus” - “Entirely Yours” on his coat of arms. He was not afraid of death: "... at the hour when I fell on St. Peter's Square, I knew for sure that I would survive." To the astonished Frossard, he confessed: "... one hand shot, the other directed the bullet." The assassination attempt took place on May 13, the anniversary of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary in Fatima in 1917.

While still in the hospital, he asked for a description of the Third Fatima Mystery. In the documents, he will read about a suffering man in a white robe... Thanks to the assassination attempt, he became even closer to millions of sick, suffering, persecuted people. From this moment on, meetings with them acquire special expressiveness. Since then he has become one of them.

The Pope arrives in Portugal on the first anniversary of the assassination. As he said in a sermon, May 13th is "mysteriously related to the date of the first apparition at Fatima" in 1917. "These dates meet each other so that I must admit that I have been miraculously called here." The Pope thanks Mary for saving his life.
He does the same during the evening vigil in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, confessing that when he came to his senses after the assassination attempt, he was mentally transported to the sanctuary in Fatima to thank the Mother of God for the healing.

In everything that happened to him, he saw Her special intercession. Divine Providence does not know what a simple coincidence is, the Holy Father continued, and therefore he accepted the assassination attempt as a call to reread the message given 65 years ago to the three shepherdesses.
Seeing the sad spiritual state of the world, he insists that "the gospel call to repentance and conversion, which the Mother reminded of, still remains relevant."
With pain, he stressed that “too many people and societies, many Christians went against the message of the Blessed Virgin in Fatima. Sin has won the right to exist, and the denial of God has spread in the worldview and plans of man!” Therefore, thanks for his healing, John Paul II, following in the footsteps of Pope Pius XII, dedicated the fate of the world to Mary.

What seemed impossible has happened. Fifty thousand young Muslims gathered in the stadium listen to the Pope, who arrived in Morocco at the invitation of King Hassan II.
Not a single Pontifex dared to take such a step, to, according to Luigi Accatoli, "Gospel excitement." But was the Pope really taking risks? It's just that he thus implemented the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, which respectfully speaks of other religions. 20 years after the end of the Council, its active participant, now the Pontifex, actively brings ideas to life.
“We, Christians and Muslims, have completely misunderstood each other and have sometimes acted against each other in the past. In a world that yearns for unity and peace, and at the same time is experiencing thousands of conflicts, should not believers maintain friendship and unity between people and peoples who on earth form a single community?

The meeting in Casablanca expressively showed the world that John Paul II is a disinterested and, perhaps, the only universally recognized "voice of conscience" of the world. Events recent years clearly showed that his concern for the reconciliation of Christians and Muslims and the development of dialogue was prophetic.

For the first time in history, a Pope crossed the threshold of a synagogue. In itself, this fact could become historical. However, this was only the beginning. John Paul II called the Jews brothers four times. He utters a phrase that, along with the famous "do not be afraid!", will become the most quoted saying of Pope Wojtyla: "You are our beloved brothers and, one might say, our elder brothers." The Pontiff and the Chief Rabbi of Rome are sitting next to each other, talking, reading psalms…

With a visit to the synagogue, John Paul II introduced a new, fraternal tone into the painful relationship, full of mutual hostility and accusations.
The Holy Father repeatedly visited the territory of the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz - it is located on the territory of the Krakow Archdiocese. Visiting this place as the Successor of St. Peter, he reminded: “The people who received the commandment “do not kill” from God-Yahweh experienced the burden of murder in a special way” ...
The visit to the Roman synagogue turned out to be not an artistic gesture, but an overture to the great cause of reconciliation between Catholics and Jews, culminating in an important visit of the Pontiff to Jerusalem for both sides.

47 delegations from various Christian denominations, as well as representatives of 13 religions, responded to the invitation of John Paul II to Assisi. It is no secret that not everyone in the Vatican was captivated by the idea of ​​the Pope, which seemed to jeopardize the authority of the Church and her status in the world.
The world was surprised by the humility of the Pope, standing shoulder to shoulder with Jews, Hindus, Muslims and exotically dressed representatives of other religions, praying in their presence for peace and reflecting with them on the common responsibility for the fate of mankind.
The Pope's call had a huge response. On September 11, 2001, the world became convinced of the enormous potential for hatred directed in the name of religion! Therefore, in January 2002 the city of St. Francis again witnessed the meeting of the Pontiff with representatives different religions.

An unforgettable sign of the liberation of Europe from communism. Everything that happened looked like a beautiful dream, but it was reality. Hundreds of thousands of young people from countries where atheism and anti-church politics dominated until recently came to the Polish sanctuary. The youth hurried to meet with the Pope, who brought closer the onset of freedom, thanks to which the meeting at Yasnaya Gora became possible.
And more “miracles”: among the million participants of the VI World Youth Day there were 100 thousand young men and women from the USSR, which in four months will go down in history. A special, free train runs from the border to Czestochowa; The USSR authorities agreed that those who do not have a foreign passport could cross the cordon using letters issued in parishes. Pilgrims arrived from Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic countries. Czestochowa received Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians and citizens of other states of "victorious socialism".

The Pope took advantage of the unprecedented meeting to remind the youth that the roots of European unity are both in the West and in the East: "The Church in Europe can finally breathe freely with two lungs."

Is a thick theological book a worldwide bestseller? Yes! The Catechism of the Catholic Church has so far been published in 50 languages; its circulation has long exceeded 10 million copies; in the first year after publication alone, 3 million were sold. Publishing houses - and not only religious ones! – competed with each other for the publishing rights. Not only Catholics became interested in the Catechism, but the entire Christian world - it was received with great attention by the Orthodox Churches.
Thus the ardent desire of the Pope himself was fulfilled, who called the Catechism "one of the most significant events in recent history Church" and "the ripe and true fruit" of Vatican II.
This work was edited by a commission convened by the Pontiff for about 10 years, and bishops from all over the world expressed their proposals. Thus, the quintessence of the Catholic doctrine was obtained, stated in a simple, understandable language.

For John Paul II, the anniversary of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity was to be the preparation for a "new spring of Christian life." This short document offers a list of the challenges that the Church faces in our time. For John Paul II, the most important of these was the embodiment of the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Therefore, he invites the Church to make a test of conscience and reflect: to what extent "the great gift of the Spirit offered to the Church" was received by believers.
The meaning of the Apostolic Epistle is based on reading from the perspective of the Gospel the "signs of the times" introduced in the 20th century. The Pope also writes about specific historical events, viewing them through the prism of the Gospel, trying to discover their significance in the perspective of the mission of Christ.
The Pope expounds in it innovative ideas that inspired not only Catholics, such as: the purification of memory and repentance for the crimes of the children of the Church, the ecumenism of the martyrs, which testifies more eloquently than divisions.

The largest forum in the history of mankind. It is believed that from 5 to 7 million people participated in the Mass, which John Paul II celebrated in the capital of the Philippines! The crowd was so dense that the Pope could not get to the altar by car - the situation was saved by a helicopter. It was the first World Youth Day to be held on the Asian continent, the most densely populated, and yet Catholics are an absolute minority.
The participation in Mass with the Pope of a delegation of Catholic youth from communist China was unprecedented. Although she represented the so-called. The “Patriotic Church”, which is not in communion with the Holy See, this very fact was considered a sign of a “thaw” and changes in relations with Beijing.

The dying John XXIII whispered the words of Christ's prayer: "Ut unum sint" - "Let all be one." It is said that this circumstance had a great influence on John Paul II and that is why the Encyclical on Christian Unity has such an eloquent title. This document convincingly testifies to the enormous, fundamental importance that John Paul II ascribes to the ecumenical movement. This is not an internal affair of the Church, as some would like to believe, and not the subject of abstract hermeneutic discussions.
The Pope calls the dialogue a test of conscience, emphasizing that the unity of Christians is possible, its condition is a humble recognition that we have sinned against unity and must repent of this. In addition - and this is why the Encyclical is considered an important milestone in the history of Christianity - John Paul II simply and humbly addresses Christians of other faiths with a proposal to jointly discuss the nature of the supreme power of the Pontiff. His call has not yet received such a courageous answer, but the grain was thrown ...

This is a great call for a "true civilization of freedom" and an encouragement to the world to make sure that "an age of coercion gives way to an age of negotiation." Addressing representatives of about 200 states, the Pope called on the peoples of the world to respect human rights and condemn violence and manifestations of nationalism and intolerance. He focused on the moral dimension of the universal problem of freedom and emphasized that the turning point events that took place in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989 stemmed from a deep conviction in the inestimable importance and dignity of man.

“Each culture seeks to comprehend the mystery of the world and the life of a single person. The heart of every culture is an approach to the greatest of all mysteries, the mystery of God,” he said.
Recalling the events in the Balkans and Central Africa, the Pope lamented that the world had not yet learned to live in conditions of cultural and racial differentiation. Recalling the existence of the universal nature of man and the natural moral law, John Paul II called on the world to discuss the future. In the face of a clear UN crisis, the Pontifex wished this organization to become a moral center and a true "family of peoples" capable of resolving specific problems.

"Gift and Mystery"
November 1996

This book describes in a very simple manner the vocations of Karol Wojtyła, as well as the fundamentals of the life of a priest as seen by a person elected to the Throne of St. Peter. For John Paul II, the life of a priest is a gift received with unfailing gratitude and a mystery that can never be completely unraveled.
Great names appear on the pages of the book: Cardinal Sapieha, Jan Tyranovsky, John Maria Vianney, brother Albert Chmielevsky. Those to whom Karol Wojtyla owed the choice of the priestly path. Here are the impressions caused in the young priest by the meeting with the West, and the reflection on the hope that the Council awakened in the young bishop of Cracow.

But the most valuable is the vision of the Church and the mission of the priest in the modern world. “The Gift and the Mystery” is a book that, against the backdrop of the authority of the shepherd, often discussed today, restores his high dignity in the eyes of the whole world. This is the work of the world's most famous Catholic priest, universally respected by people of all races, cultures, statuses and worldviews.

Pope in the city symbolizing the tragedy of the 20th century: here I began World War, here “World War II raged, and here, on the slope of the century, local residents, amidst destruction and death, experienced the burden of long years of hostility and fear.” From a city where different cultures, religions and peoples collided, John Paul II issued a call: no to war!
In the words of the Pontiff one can hear the regret that the religious declarations of the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not protect them from a cruel war. John Paul II among the ruins, in an atmosphere of hatred and under the threat of assassination, said that enmity and hatred "can find means in religious values ​​not only for sobering and moderation, but also for reflection, meaning constructive cooperation."
The threat hung over John Paul II himself, however, despite the proposals of the UN peacekeeping forces, he overcomes by car a considerable distance separating the airport from the cathedral.
The Pope's visit to Sarajevo acquired a symbolic meaning also in the sense that his spiritual message can be applied to other conflicts that darkened the dramatic age. Hearing the call of John Paul II addressed to the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina: “You have an Advocate with the Father. His name is: Jesus Christ is just!”, it was hard not to remember Rwanda, the Middle East.

This event fell into the annals of history long before it happened. The news that a man who was apparently involved in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe is being sent to the “den of the communist dinosaur” electrified the world. Many have asked themselves if the Pope will loudly demand justice for the people, freedom for political prisoners, rights for the Catholic Church.
The Holy Father did not hesitate: he handed over to Fidel Castro a list of 302 names of political prisoners,
repeatedly, bluntly, in the presence of the Comandante, he reminded of the people's rights to development, wishing them freedom and reconciliation.

The culmination of the visit was a Mass at the Revolution Square in Havana, where about a million Cubans gathered under the gaze of a huge portrait of Che Guevara, a friend of Fidel's revolutionary youth, who was watching. Has anything changed? The authorities released several prisoners, allowed Christmas to be celebrated, agreed to allow new missionaries to enter the island, and in general, the attitude towards the Church became more liberal.

For the first time in the history of the Church, the Successor of St. Peter arrived in a country where the majority of the population professes Orthodoxy. This happened after several unsuccessful attempts to organize a meeting with Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, whose inflexible position cooled relations between the Orthodox world and the Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, the hierarchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church expressed their consent to the arrival of the Pope. John Paul II himself was still eager to make this trip, for whom the unity of Christians and the fulfillment of the will of Christ “let them all be one” from the very beginning of the Pontificate became one of the priorities.
The atmosphere in which the Pope's visit took place exceeded the expectations of all optimists. The Pontiff and Orthodox hierarchs were hospitably received. “This is an unforgettable visit. I have crossed the threshold of hope here,” the Pope said at the end of his address to Patriarch Theoktist. The meeting participants thanked John Paul II with a standing ovation.

For Christians of various rites who yearn for unity, this visit was a harbinger of hope. He showed that, despite the difficulties in the ecumenical dialogue led by pundits, "simple" believers - although history and human error have divided their churches - are essentially close to each other. Three hundred thousand participants in the Mass unanimously chanted the word "unitate" (unity), and among them were both Catholics of various rites and Orthodox - this is eloquent proof that despite the formal division, many Christians ardently yearn for unity.

This trip was characterized by several important circumstances: a pilgrimage to the origins of Christianity, to the places where its Founder lived and died; meeting with Jews and their tragic history overshadowed by the Holocaust; bleeding wound of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Pope visited Bethlehem, located on the territory of the Palestinian Authority, and the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, where he kissed the stone slab on which the body of Christ rested 2,000 years ago. In concelebration with 12 cardinals, he celebrated Mass in the Zion Room, where, according to ancient tradition, the Savior ate the Last Supper with the apostles.
At an inter-religious meeting in Jerusalem, the holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims, expressing hope for improved relations between religions, the Pope assured everyone of his prayer for peace in the Middle East. Peace, he emphasized, would be the fruit of the joint efforts of all peoples living in the Holy Land.

During his visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial Institute, the Holy Father honored the memory of 6 million Jews who died during World War II and repented for the sins of the children of the Church committed against the Jews, condemning anti-Semitism and racial hatred. The Prime Minister of Israel noted that the Pope, who in his youth witnessed the tragedy of the occupation, after being elected to the Throne of St. Peter, did more to reconcile Jews and Christians than anyone before him.

It is no secret that the Pope's idea of ​​public repentance for the sins committed by Catholics in the past caused little joy in the Roman Curia. For John Paul II, in turn, it was obvious that "the joy of any Jubilee lies, first of all, in the remission of sins, in the joy of conversion." Fears that this event could undermine the image of the Church turned out to be exaggerated. The world accepted with gratitude and surprise the courageous test of conscience performed by the Pope.

The very course of the liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica was exciting. The heads of the most important departments of the Holy See uttered the words of a prayer in which they listed the sins of the children of the Church and asked for forgiveness for them: sins against the truth, against the unity of the Church, against the Jews, against love, peace, the rights of peoples, the dignity of cultures and religions, women and the human race.
In the sermon, the Pope asked everyone for the forgiveness of the sins of the children of the Church, assuring that the Church, for its part, forgives the offenses caused to it by others. Unusual photographs went around the world: John Paul II approaches the Cross, kisses the feet of the Crucified and looks up to the sky.

“This photograph is worth a good hundred history books and should take its rightful place in the annals alongside the photograph of the Berlin Wall that collapsed in 1989 and the portrait of Boris Yeltsin standing on a tank in the center of Moscow in 1991.” This is how the Avenire newspaper reacted to a photograph published the day before in Osservatore Romano depicting the Holy Father surrounded by bishops and Apostolic administrators who came to Rome from the former Soviet republics as part of the “ad limina”.
A little more than two decades ago, in the vast Soviet empire, the only priest of the Holy Ecumenical Church could officially serve. In the Papal Yearbooks, year after year, episcopal sees were listed that existed before 1917, widowed in the hard times of repression. Over the past decade, many of them have again been appointed bishops.

The Mass with the Holy Father, together with the Russian bishops, was attended by the heads of the Catholic structures of eight republics of the former USSR: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, as well as Mongolia.
During the sermon, the Pope urged the audience to "strengthen the unity of the Church."
After Mass, everyone was invited to the library, where Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz greeted the guests on behalf of the bishops and prelates of the Holy Father. Then each of the Russian bishops was invited to a personal audience, which lasted about 15 minutes. The content of these conversations is not customary to disclose.

When everyone had another opportunity to be with the Pope, the Russian bishops invited him to Russia, which was done in such a way - by a national delegation - for the first time.

The solemn accomplishment of the "Act of dedication of the world to the Divine Mercy" caused a resonance in the world. It has been universally recognized that the unimpressive diagnosis given to the modern world by an outstanding witness of the faith deserves attention.
It was noted that in a sermon delivered in the sanctuary in Łagiewniki, John Paul II expressed the key message of his pontificate. A world permeated with the "mystery of wickedness" demands mercy, "so that the radiance of truth will put an end to all injustice in the world."

The Pope stressed that along with the new development prospects on the threshold of the new millennium, "new, hitherto unseen threats" are also evident. He also pointed to interference in the secret of human life (through genetic manipulations), arbitrary determination of the beginning or end of life, and the denial of the moral foundations of the family in the modern world.
The Pope did not seek to intimidate, but simply cited as an example that saint (Faustina Kowalska) who taught us all to cry out: “Jesus, I trust in You.” This is the source of hope for the modern world.

On the 24th anniversary of the election to the Throne of St. Peter, the Holy Father, during a general audience, announced the signing of the new Apostolic Letter "Rosarium Virginis Mariae". In addition, the period from October 2002 to October 2003, the Pope declared the Year of the Rosary and established another part of the Mother of God prayer - "bright mysteries".

“Christ, the Redeemer of man, is the center of our faith. Mary does not overshadow Him, nor does she overshadow His works of salvation. Taken to heaven in body and soul, the Blessed Virgin was the first to taste the fruits of the Passion and Resurrection of Her Son, and She reliably leads us to Christ, the final goal of our journey and our entire existence,” he noted. “Inviting the faithful to contemplate the Face of Christ without ceasing, I wanted Mary, His Mother, to be the Mentor in this for all.”

In order to make the synthesis of the Gospel, recalled in the Rosary, more perfect, the Pontifex proposed to add five more mysteries to those that we already contemplate. They are based on the events of the Savior's earthly ministry: His Baptism in the Jordan, the miracle in Cana of Galilee, the preaching of the Kingdom of God and repentance, the Tabor Transfiguration and the Last Supper, which already introduces the theme of His Passion.

Once again, Pope Wojtyła returns to poetry, which, as it seemed, he finally abandoned after his election to the Throne of St. Peter. The news was sensational, because a few years ago the pontiff's entourage claimed that the composition of poetry is a turned page in the life of the Holy Father. However... "And here he remained true to himself," Cardinal Frantisek Macharsky commented on this fact at the presentation of the poem in the house of the Krakow archbishops. The birth of this work was shrouded in extraordinary mystery. There were leaks in the press, the time of publication was delayed all the time, and finally the essay saw the light, published in a dizzying circulation: 300,000 copies! And the circulation was sold out almost instantly.

The Pope's meditations are reflections on the Bible, on the history of creation, on the place of man in the world; there are many personal experiences. The outstanding character of this initiative is emphasized by several circumstances. The primate of the Catholic Church and, at the same time, an outstanding humanist and philosopher, considered it possible to turn to the language of poetry, thereby noting that neither a sermon nor an Encyclical would serve in this case as the best means of conveying his thoughts. In addition, most of the "Triptych" is inspired by Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel - the famous "Last Judgment".

Pope John Paul II reposed in the Lord on April 2, 2005, at the age of 85.

Biography

Saint John Paul II - Pope of Rome, Primate of the Roman Catholic Church from October 16, 1978 to April 2, 2005, playwright, poet, teacher. Beatified on 1 May 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI. Canonized on April 27, 2014 by Pope Francis and his retired Pope Benedict.

In 1978, the 264th pope, John Paul II, became the first non-Italian pope to be elected in 455 years (Adrian VI, who became pope in 1523, was Dutch by birth), one of the youngest pontiffs in history, and the first pope of Slavic origin. . However, there is a version that John Paul II was the second Slavic pontiff: perhaps the first pope of Slavic origin was Sixtus V, his father Srecko Peric was from Montenegro.

In terms of the duration of his pontificate, he is second only to the Apostle Peter and Pope Pius IX (1846-1878). John Paul II was succeeded by the German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI.

Childhood

Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920 in the city of Wadowice near Krakow in the family of Lieutenant of the Polish Army K. Wojtyla, who was fluent in German and systematically taught German to his youngest son, and teacher Emilia Kachorowska, a Roman Catholic born in Krakow, by origin from the Kholm region, According to a number of Russian or Ukrainian sources, perhaps that is why the future Pope loved and respected Orthodoxy and believed that Christianity should breathe with two lungs - Western and Eastern. When Karol was 8 years old, his mother died, and at 12 he lost his older brother Edmund.

In his youth, he was fond of theater and dreamed of becoming a professional actor: when his friends asked if he wanted to become a priest, he invariably answered “Non sum dignus” (from Latin - “I am not worthy”). At the age of 14, he tried himself in a school drama club, and in his youth he wrote the play "King-Spirit". He headed the school Marian society. At the same age, he made his first pilgrimage to the main shrine of Poland in the city of Czestochowa. In 1938, Karol received the sacrament of chrismation and received his secondary education.

Youth

Karol studied extremely successfully. After graduating from the classical lyceum in 1938, on the eve of World War II, he entered the Faculty of Polonism at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, where he studied philology, literature and philosophy of the peoples of Poland. He wrote poetry: in 1939 he compiled a collection called "The Psalter of the Renaissance" (which included various poems, including one dedicated to the mother, as well as the poetic drama "David"). In his lyrics, Wojtyla describes his reverence for the Lord and the possible depths of happiness and sorrow. In addition to engaging in literary activities, he managed to take an introductory course in the Russian language and a course in Church Slavonic writing. Then he became a member of "Studio 39" - a theater group.

I met the beginning of the Second World War in Krakow, where I prayed in the Wawel Cathedral, when the first bombs fell on the city. On September 2, together with his father, he left Krakow and went to the east of the country, where, according to the general opinion, the Polish army was gathering forces for a counterattack, but after meeting with the Soviet troops, they had to return.

During the German occupation, when most of the professors of the university were sent to a concentration camp and classes officially stopped, he attended classes at the “underground university”, and in order to avoid deportation to Germany and support himself and his father, since the occupiers did not pay his father the pension for which they had previously lived, worked in the quarry of the Solvay company near Krakow, then moved to the chemical plant of the same company. He urged the Polish workers not to transfer their hatred of the occupiers to the uninvolved Volksdeutsche, Rusyns and Gorals from among the workers themselves.

From the late autumn of 1939 until the middle of 1940, he wrote many poems and several plays in biblical stories, and also began translating Sophocles' Oedipus Rex into Polish. At this time, Karol was still sure that he would connect his future with the theater or science, but his fate was radically influenced by the meeting with Jan Tyranovsky, the owner of the tailoring workshop.

Tyranovsky was the head of the illegal religious society "Life-Giving Rosary": members of the circle met for prayer communication and reflection on the "Sacraments of the Rosary", the number of which was 15 (corresponding to the fifteen main events in the life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary). Accordingly, Tyranovsky was looking for 15 young people who would be ready to devote themselves to the love of God and the service of others. The organization of such a community at that time was extremely dangerous, and its members were threatened with sending to the camp and death. Once a week, Karol with other young adepts gathered at Tyranovsky, where he read books on the history of religion and the writings of Catholic mystics with his pupils. The future pope spoke extremely highly of Tyranovsky and believed that it was thanks to him that he discovered the world of true spirituality.

At the same time, he became one of the initiators of the underground Rhapsody Theater, whose performances were reduced to the mere pronunciation of the text. The theater staged plays about social and political injustice, about the struggle of the oppressed: Karol and other members of the troupe believed that their undertaking could support Polish culture during the occupation and preserve the spirit of the nation.

On February 18, 1941, Karol Wojtyla Sr. died. The death of his father was a turning point in Karol's life. Subsequently, he recalled: “By the age of twenty, I had lost everyone I loved. God was clearly preparing me for my path. My father was the person who explained the mysteries of God to me and helped me to comprehend them.” After this moment, Karol finally decided that he would not be an actor or a teacher - he would be a priest.

In 1942, Karol Wojtyla enrolled in the general education courses of the underground Krakow Theological Seminary, turning to Cardinal Sapieha for this, who later became another of his mentor: for Wojtyla, this meant the beginning of an even more stressful and risky life, as he continued to work in a career and participate in theater troupe. In the spring of 1943, Karol finally made a difficult decision by meeting with his theater mentor Mieczysław Kotliarchyk and telling him that he was leaving the theater and was about to take the priesthood. After graduating from the seminary, he initially thought about entering a Carmelite monastery and living the quiet life of a monk.

In 1944, the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Stefan Sapieha, for security reasons, transferred Wojtyla, along with other "illegal" seminarians, to work in the diocesan administration in the archbishop's palace, where Karol remained until the end of the war.

In March 1945, after the liberation of Krakow by Soviet troops, classes resumed at the Jagiellonian University. Wojtyla (like Sapieha) was extremely cautious about the new regime: back in 1941, in one of his letters, he wrote that “communism is a demagogic utopia, and Poland and the Polish communists have nothing in common except language.”

Even in his youth, Karol became a polyglot and spoke quite fluently in thirteen languages ​​- in his native Polish, and in addition to Slovak, Russian, Esperanto, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and English, and also knew Latin.

Church ministry

On November 1, 1946, Karol Wojtyla was ordained a priest and a few days later went to Rome to continue his theological education.

In the summer of 1947 he made a trip to Western Europe, during which he endured not only pleasant, but also disturbing impressions. Many years after that, he wrote: “I saw from different angles and began to better understand what Western Europe is - Europe after the war, Europe of magnificent Gothic cathedrals, which, however, was overwhelmed by a wave of secularization. I realized the seriousness of the challenge thrown to the church and the need to confront the formidable danger with new forms of pastoral activity, open to wider participation of the laity.

In June 1948, at the Pontifical International Athenaeum "Angelicum", he defended his doctoral thesis on the works of the Spanish mystic of the 16th century, the reformer of the Carmelite order, St. John of the Cross. Then he returned to Poland, where in July 1948 he was appointed assistant rector of the parish in the village of Niegovich, in the south of the country in the commune of Gdow, where he served under Kazimierz Buzaly, whom Sapieha deeply respected. In the village, the newly-made priest immediately won great respect: so once the local representatives of the secret police decided to dissolve the parish branch of the Catholic Youth Association and intensively searched for scammers among the parishioners, but no one agreed to betray Father Wojtyla. Karol taught parishioners not to openly oppose the authorities: he believed that in such difficult times it is better to behave loyally and humbly.

In December 1948, the Academic Senate of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow recognized the diploma received by Wojtyla in Rome as valid and awarded him a doctorate.

In August 1949 he was appointed assistant priest in the parish of St. Florian in Krakow, but in September 1951 he was temporarily relieved of his post in order to prepare for the exam for the title of university teacher.

In 1953, Wojtyła defended his dissertation at the theological faculty of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow on the possibility of substantiating Christian ethics based on the ethical system of the German philosopher Max Scheler. After defending his dissertation in October 1953, he began teaching ethics and moral theology at the university, but soon the communist government of Poland closed the theological faculty, and they were forced to transfer their studies to the Krakow Theological Seminary. Then he was offered to teach at the Catholic University of Lublin, where at the end of 1956 he headed the department of ethics.

On July 4, 1958, by appointment of Pope Pius XII, Father Wojtyła became auxiliary bishop of the Archbishopric of Cracow and titular bishop of Ombi. On September 28, 1958, the ordination to the bishop took place, which was performed by Archbishop Eugeniusz Bazyak of Lviv in co-service with the titular Bishop of Daulia Franciszek Jop and the titular Bishop of Vaga Boleslav Komink. On July 16, 1962, after the death of Archbishop Eugeniusz Bazyak, he was elected capitular vicar of the Krakow Archbishopric.

Between 1962 and 1964 he took part in all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council convened by Pope John XXIII, being one of the youngest participants. He played an important role in the preparation of the pastoral constitution "Gaudium et spes" and the declaration of religious freedom "Dignitatis Humanae". Thanks to this work, in January 1964 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop, metropolitan of Krakow.

On June 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI elevated him to the cardinal priesthood with the title of the church pro hac vice of San Cesareo in Palatio.

As a cardinal, he tried in every possible way to oppose the communist regime in Poland. During the events in Gdansk, people took to the streets after sharp increase commodity prices, and police and troops were brought in to quell the riots, resulting in several deaths. Wojtyła condemned acts of violence by the authorities and demanded "the right to bread, the right to freedom ... genuine justice ... and an end to intimidation." The cardinal also continued his long-standing litigation with state power: for example, he filed petitions for the construction of new churches, advocated the abolition of military service for seminary students, and defended the right to give children a Catholic upbringing and education. All these activities were partially successful.

In 1973-1975, Paul VI invited Wojtyla to Rome 11 times for private conversations, which indicates that a rather close relationship developed between them. In March 1976, Wojtyla reads his sermons in Italian to other cardinals (and not in Latin: knowledge of Italian increased the chances of being elected pontiff). After this, the new Polish cardinal began to be noticed more often: for example, in the same year, The New York Times included him in the list of the ten most likely successors to Paul VI.

In August 1978, after the death of Paul VI, Karol Wojtyla participated in the conclave that elected Pope John Paul I, but he died just 33 days after the election - on September 28, 1978.

In October of the same year, another conclave was held. The participants in the conclave were split into supporters of two Italian contenders - Giuseppe Siri - the archbishop of Genoa, known for his conservative views, and the more liberal Giovanni Benelli - the archbishop of Florence. Ultimately, Wojtyła emerged as a compromise candidate and was elected pope. Upon accession to the throne, Wojtyla took the name of his predecessor and became John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II

1970s

Like his predecessor, John Paul II tried to simplify his position, depriving her of many royal attributes. In particular, speaking about himself, he used the pronoun I instead of we, as is customary among royalty. The pope abandoned the coronation ceremony, instead holding a simple enthronement. He did not wear the papal tiara and always sought to emphasize the role that is indicated in the title of the pope, Servus Servorum Dei (from Latin - "slave of God's servants").

January 24 - Pope John Paul II received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR Andrei Gromyko at his request, which was an unprecedented event, since there were no diplomatic relations between the USSR and the Vatican at that time, and everyone knew the pope's attitude towards the communist ideology and the obvious hostility of the Soviet power to Catholicism.

January 25 - The Pope's pastoral trip to Mexico begins - the first of the pontiff's 104 trips abroad.
March 4 - The first papal encyclical Redemptor Hominis (Jesus Christ, the Redeemer) is published.

March 6 - Pope John Paul II made a will, which he constantly reread, and which, with the exception of a few additions, remained unchanged.

June 2 - Wojtyła came to his native Poland for the first time as head of the Roman Catholic Church. For the Poles, who were under the rule of an atheistic pro-Soviet regime, the election of their compatriot as pope was a spiritual impetus to the struggle and the emergence of the Solidarity movement. “Without him, communism would not have ended, or at least it would have happened much later and with more bloodshed,” the British newspaper Financial Times reported the words of the former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. During the entire period of the pontificate, John Paul II visited his homeland eight times. Perhaps the most important was the visit in 1983, when the country was still reeling from the shock caused by the imposition of martial law in December 1981. The communist authorities feared that the pope's visit would be used by the opposition. But the Pope did not give rise to accusations either then or on his next visit in 1987. With opposition leader Lech Walesa, he met exclusively in private. In Soviet times, the Polish leadership agreed to the arrival of the pope with the obligatory consideration of the reaction of the USSR. The then leader of Poland, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, agreeing to the pope's visit, wanted to show that he was first of all a Pole and a patriot, and only then a communist. Later, the pope played a big role in the fact that in the late 1980s the change of power in Poland took place without firing a shot. As a result of his dialogue with General Wojciech Jaruzelski, he peacefully transferred power to Lech Walesa, who received papal blessing for democratic reforms.

June 28 - The first consistory of the pontificate was held, during which the pope handed over red cardinal caps to 14 new "princes of the church".

In 1980, the Vatican was visited on a state visit by the English Queen Elizabeth II (she is also the head of the Anglican Church). It was a historic visit, given that for many centuries the British monarchs and Roman pontiffs were implacable enemies. Elizabeth II was the first of the British monarchs to visit the Vatican on a state visit and even invited the Pope to the UK for a pastoral visit to 4 million British Catholics.

assassination attempt

On May 13, 1981, the reign of John Paul II almost ended as a result of an assassination attempt on the Vatican's St. Peter. Subsequently, John Paul II came to the conclusion that the hand of the Mother of God herself took the bullet away from him.

The attack was carried out by a member of the Turkish far-right group " Gray wolves» Mehmet Ali Agca. He ended up in Italy after escaping from a Turkish prison, where he served time for murder and bank robbery. Agca seriously wounded John Paul II in the stomach and was arrested on the spot.

In 1983, the Pope visited the imprisoned Ali Agca, who was sentenced to life imprisonment. They talked about something, left alone, but the topic of their conversation is still unknown. After this meeting, John Paul II said: “What we talked about will remain our secret. I spoke to him as to a brother whom I have forgiven and who has my full confidence."

In 1984, Ali Agca testified that the Bulgarian special services were involved in the assassination attempt, after which charges were brought against three Bulgarian citizens and three Turkish citizens, including Bulgarian citizen Sergei Antonov, who was declared the coordinator of the assassination attempt. The version about the involvement of the KGB in this has become widespread. However, all of the accused, except Agdzhi, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

At the request of John Paul II, Agca was pardoned by the Italian authorities and handed over to Turkish justice.
In 2005, Ali Agja stated that some Vatican cardinals were involved in the assassination attempt.

The head of the special commission of the Italian parliament, Senator Paolo Gutsanti, a member of the Forward Italy party (led by Berlusconi), told reporters: "The commission believes that, without a doubt, the leaders of the USSR were the initiators of the removal of John Paul II." The report is based on information published by Vasily Mitrokhin, former head of the USSR KGB archival department, who fled to the UK in 1992. This report, however, was never considered official in Italy, the special commission itself was dissolved and subsequently accused of slander, and the report of fraud designed to denigrate the socialist Romano Prodi, Berlusconi's rival in the upcoming elections.

1980s

On February 27, during a visit to Portugal, another assassination attempt was made on the pope. The attempt was made by a young priest, a supporter of the ultra-conservative and reactionary Cardinal Lefebvre.

On December 1, 1989, for the first time, the pope received a Soviet leader in the Vatican - Mikhail Gorbachev became him. The biographer of John Paul II, George Weigel, assessed this event as follows: "Gorbachev's visit to the Vatican was an act of capitulation of atheistic humanism as an alternative to the development of mankind." The meeting became a turning point in diplomatic contacts between the USSR and the Vatican and in the process of reviving the Catholic Church in the USSR. On March 15, 1990, official relations were established between the Vatican and the USSR, having diplomatic status. Already in April 1991, an official document was signed on the restoration of the structures of the Catholic Church in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. And in August 1991, by special order of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Iron Curtain was raised, and more than 100 thousand young men and women from the USSR without visas, on internal Soviet passports, went to meet with the Pope in Poland.

1990s

On April 29, 1994, the pontiff slipped while getting out of the shower and broke his hip. According to independent experts, from the same year he began to suffer from Parkinson's disease.

In May 1995, when John Paul II turned 75, he asked his closest adviser, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whether he should resign his post, as he attributed the canon law of the Catholic Church to the bishops and cardinals who have reached this age. As a result of the historical and theological research, it was concluded that an elderly Pope is preferable for the Church than a “retired Pope”.

On May 21, 1995, the Pope asked for forgiveness for the evil done by Catholics in the past to representatives of other faiths.
On November 19, 1996, the pontiff received Cuban leader Fidel Castro at the Vatican.
1997

On April 12, John Paul II traveled to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), where he spoke about the civil war in this former Yugoslav republic as a tragedy and a challenge for all of Europe. Mines were found along the path of the papal cortege.

On August 24, the Pope took part in the World Catholic Youth Day in Paris, which was attended by over a million young men and women.
On September 27, the pontiff attended a concert of rock stars in Bologna as a listener.

On January 21, 1998, the Pope began a pastoral trip to communist Cuba. At a meeting with Fidel Castro at the Palace of the Revolution (Spanish) Russian. in Havana, the Pope condemned economic sanctions against Cuba. At the same time, the Pope gave Fidel Castro a list of 302 names of Cuban political prisoners. The historic visit culminated in a mass at the Revolution Square in Havana, where about a million Cubans gathered. After this visit, the Cuban authorities released several prisoners, allowed Christmas to be celebrated, agreed to allow new missionaries to enter the island, and in general, the attitude towards the church became more liberal.

On March 11, the Pope met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami for the first time in Rome. This visit helped Iran emerge from international isolation.

On May 7, the papal trip to Romania began. John Paul II became the first Pope to visit an Orthodox country.

On June 13, the Pope visited Warsaw and during the visit conducted a beatification of 108 blessed Polish martyrs - ministers of the church who died during the Second World War.

2000s

Until his last days, the pope tried to support the flock in the post-Soviet republics of the USSR. In June, already being seriously ill, he visited Kiev and Lvov, where he gathered hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. In September, a pastoral visit to Kazakhstan and Armenia followed, in Yerevan he served a divine service at the Eternal Flame of the Memorial Ottoman Empire. In May 2002 he visited Azerbaijan.

On September 12, after the terrorist attacks in the United States, the head of the Roman Catholic Church urged President George W. Bush not to allow the logic of hatred and violence to prevail.

On November 5, 2003, the pontiff received Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican.
2004
On June 29, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I made an official visit to the Vatican.
On August 27, the Pope sent as a gift to the Russian Orthodox Church a list of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which was kept in his personal chapel.
2005 year

February 1 - John Paul II was hastily taken to the Roman clinic "Gemelli" in connection with acute laryngotracheitis, complicated by spasmodic phenomena.

February 23 - The last book written by the Pope, "Memory and Identity", appeared on the shelves of bookstores in Italy.
February 24 - the pontiff was re-hospitalized, during which he underwent a tracheostomy.

March 13 - The Pope was discharged from the hospital and returned to the Vatican, but for the first time he was unable to take part directly in the Holy Week services.

March 27 - The pontiff tried to address the faithful after Easter Mass from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square, but could not utter a word.

March 30 - John Paul II made his last public appearance, but failed to greet the faithful who had gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.

April 2 - John Paul II, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, arthritis and a number of other diseases, died at the age of 84 at 21:37 local time (GMT +2). In his last hours, a huge crowd of people gathered outside his Vatican residence, praying for relief from his suffering. According to the conclusion of the Vatican doctors, John Paul II died "from septic shock and cardiovascular collapse."

April 14 - The Vatican hosted the premiere of the TV series Karol. The man who became the Pope." The premiere was planned for early April, but was postponed due to the death of the pontiff.

April 17 - mourning for the deceased pope ended and the earthly term of government allotted to him officially ended. According to ancient custom, the personal seal of John Paul II and the ring, the so-called Pescatore ("Fisherman's Ring"), with the image of the first pope, the Apostle Peter, were broken and destroyed. John Paul II certified official letters with a seal, personal correspondence with an imprint of a ring.

April 18 - On the first day of the 2005 Papal Conclave, the Italian television channel Canale 5 began showing the TV series Karol. The man who became the Pope."

Activity

Anti-communist and conservative

An entire era is associated with the name of John Paul II - the era of the collapse of communism in Europe - and for many in the world it was he who became its symbol along with Mikhail Gorbachev.

In his post, John Paul II proved to be a tireless fighter both against Stalinist ideas and against the negative aspects of the modern capitalist system - the political and social oppression of the masses. His public speeches in support of human rights and freedoms have made him a symbol of the struggle against authoritarianism throughout the world.

Being a staunch conservative, the pope resolutely defended the foundations of the dogma and social doctrine of the Catholic Church, inherited from the past. In particular, during his pastoral visit to Nicaragua, John Paul II publicly and strongly condemned the theology of liberation, popular among some Latin American Catholics, and personally the priest Ernesto Cardenal, who joined the Sandinista government of Nicaragua and violated the rules of the Holy Apostles "not to intervene in the government of the people." The Roman curia, as a result of the refusal of the priests to withdraw from the government of Nicaragua, even for a long time after the explanation of the pope, deprived them of their dignity, despite the fact that the church of Nicaragua did not do this.

The Catholic Church under John Paul II maintained an uncompromising stance on abortion and contraception. In 1994, the Holy See thwarted the adoption by the United Nations of a US-proposed resolution to support family planning. John Paul II spoke out strongly against homosexual marriages and euthanasia, against the ordination of women to the priesthood, and also supported celibacy.

At the same time, while maintaining the fundamental canons of faith, he proved the ability of the Catholic Church to develop along with civilization, recognizing the achievements of civil society and scientific and technological progress, and even appointing Saints Methodius and Cyril as patrons of the European Union, and Saint Isidore of Seville as patron of the Internet.

Repentance of the Catholic Church

John Paul II, among his predecessors, is distinguished only by repentance for the mistakes committed by some Catholics in the course of history. Even during the Second Vatican Council in 1962, the Polish bishops, together with Karol Wojtyla, published a letter to the German bishops about reconciliation with the words: "We forgive and ask for forgiveness." And already as a pope, John Paul II brought repentance on behalf of the Western Christian Church for the crimes of the Crusades and the Inquisition.

In October 1992, the Roman Catholic Church rehabilitated Galileo Galilei (350 years after the scientist's death).

In August 1997, John Paul II admitted the guilt of the church in the mass destruction of Protestants in France during the St. Bartholomew night of August 24, 1572, and in January 1998 he decided to open the archives of the Holy Inquisition.

On March 12, 2000, during the traditional Sunday mass in St. Peter's Basilica, John Paul II publicly repented of the sins of members of the Catholic Church. He asked for forgiveness for the sins of church leaders: church schisms and religious wars, "contempt, acts of hostility and silence" towards Jews, the forced evangelization of America, discrimination based on gender and nationality, manifestations of social and economic injustice. Never in the history of mankind has any religion or denomination brought such repentance.

John Paul II acknowledged accusations against the Catholic Church - in particular, in silence during the events of World War II and the Holocaust, when Catholic priests and bishops limited themselves to saving Jews and other people persecuted by the Nazis (see the story of Rabbi Zolli and many others).

peacekeeper

Actively opposed to any wars, in 1982, during the crisis around the Falklands, he visited both the UK and Argentina, calling on the countries to peace. In 1991, the Pope condemned the Gulf War. When the war broke out in Iraq again in 2003, John Paul II sent one of the cardinals on a peace mission to Baghdad, and blessed another for a conversation with US President George W. British invasion of Iraq.

Interfaith Relations

In interfaith relations, John Paul II also differed greatly from his predecessors. He became the first pope who made contacts with other faiths.

In 1982, for the first time in 450 years since the separation of the Anglican Church from the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope met with the Archbishop of Canterbury and celebrated a joint service.

In August 1985, at the invitation of King Hassan II, the Pope spoke in Morocco to an audience of fifty thousand young Muslims. He spoke of the misunderstanding and enmity that had previously existed in relations between Christians and Muslims, and called for the establishment of "peace and unity between people and nations that make up a single community on Earth."

In April 1986, for the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, the Pope crossed the threshold of the synagogue, where, sitting next to the Chief Rabbi of Rome, he uttered the phrase that became one of his most quoted statements: "You are our beloved brothers and, one might say, our elder brothers." Many years later, in 2000, the pope visited Jerusalem and touched the Western Wall, the shrine of Judaism, and also visited the Yad Vashem memorial.

In October 1986, the first interreligious meeting took place in Assisi, when 47 delegations from various Christian denominations, as well as representatives of 13 other religions, responded to the invitation of the pontiff to discuss the problems of interfaith relations.

On May 4, 2001, John Paul II visited Greece. This was the first visit of the head of the Roman Catholic Church to Greece since 1054, when the Christian Church split into Catholic and Orthodox.

Apostolic visits

John Paul II made more than 100 trips abroad, visiting about 130 countries. Most often, he visited Poland, the USA and France (six times each), as well as Spain and Mexico (five times each). These trips were designed to help strengthen the position of Catholicism around the world and establish links between Catholics and other religions (primarily Islam and Judaism). Everywhere he has always spoken out in defense of human rights and against violence and dictatorial regimes.

In general, during the pontificate, the pope traveled more than 1,167,000 km.

The unfulfilled dream of John Paul II was a trip to Russia. In the years leading up to the fall of communism, it was impossible for him to travel to the USSR. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, visiting Russia became politically possible, but the Russian Orthodox Church opposed the pope's visit. The Moscow Patriarchate accused the Roman Catholic Church of expanding into the ancestral territory of the Orthodox Church, and Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia said that until the Catholics give up proselytism (attempts to convert the Orthodox to Catholicism), the visit of the head of their church to Russia is impossible. Many political leaders, including Vladimir Putin, tried to promote the pope's visit to Russia, but the Moscow Patriarchate remained adamant. In February 2001, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, trying to circumvent the dissatisfaction of the Moscow Patriarchate, proposed to the Pope that he not make a pastoral, but a state visit to Russia.

According to Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in 2002-2007, one of the main achievements during the pontificate of John Paul II was the restoration of the administrative structures of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia in February 2002. It was these transformations, however, that exacerbated the already complicated relationship between the Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate.

After death

Responses to the Death of John Paul II

In Italy, Poland, Latin America, Egypt and many others, a three-day mourning was declared in connection with the death of John Paul II. Brazil - the world's largest Catholic country (120 million Catholics) - announced seven days of mourning, Venezuela - five days.

Political and spiritual leaders around the world responded to the death of John Paul II.
US President George W. Bush called him "a knight of freedom."

“I am sure that the role of John Paul II in history, his spiritual and political legacy is appreciated by mankind,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a telegram of condolences.

“The deceased primate of the ancient Roman See was distinguished by his devotion to the path chosen in his youth, his ardent will for Christian service and witness,” said Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

"We will never forget that he supported the oppressed peoples, including the Palestinians," - said, according to the press secretary of the Arab League, its Secretary General Amr Musa.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, opening the weekly government meeting, said: “John Paul II was a man of peace, a friend of the Jewish people, who recognized the right of the Jews to the Land of Israel. He did a lot for the historical reconciliation between Judaism and Christianity. It was thanks to his efforts that the Holy See recognized the State of Israel and established diplomatic relations with it at the end of 1993.”

Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas stressed in a statement that John Paul II will be remembered as "an outstanding religious figure who dedicated his life to the defense of peace, freedom and equality." Condolences were also expressed by Palestinian parties and movements, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the majority of whose members at the time of its inception were Eastern Christians (Armenians and Orthodox), Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

"Cuba has always considered John Paul II a friend who defended the rights of the poor, opposed neo-liberal policies and fought for world peace," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque said.

Funeral

Farewell to Pope John Paul II and his funeral became the most massive series of ceremonial events in the history of mankind. 300 thousand people attended the funeral liturgy, 4 million pilgrims saw the pontiff from earthly life to eternal life (more than a million of them were Poles); more than a billion believers belonging to various Christian denominations and professing different religions prayed for the repose of his soul; 2 billion viewers watched the ceremony live.

More than 100 heads of state and government attended the funeral of the pontiff - 11 monarchs, 70 presidents and prime ministers, several heads of international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. And about two thousand more members of various delegations - from 176 countries in total. Russia was represented by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.

The funeral ceremony of Pope John Paul II, held on April 8, 2005 in the Vatican St. Peter's Basilica, was based on liturgical texts and the provisions of the apostolic constitution approved by John Paul II in 1996.

On the night of April 8, the access of believers to St. Peter's Cathedral was terminated, and the body of John Paul II was placed in a cypress coffin (according to legend, the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was made from this tree) - the first of three due to the pontiff during the burial of coffins ( the other two are zinc and pine). Before closing the lid of the coffin, the face of John Paul II was covered with a special piece of white silk. According to tradition, a leather bag with coins issued during the years of the pontificate of John Paul II, and a metal pencil case with a scroll containing the life of John Paul II were placed in the coffin.

After the prayer, the coffin was transferred to the porch in front of the facade of St. Peter's, where at 10 am the cardinals celebrated the funeral mass. The funeral service was led by Joseph Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The liturgy was in Latin, but some parts were read in Spanish, English, French, as well as Swahili, Polish, German and Portuguese. The patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches performed the funeral service for the pope in Greek.

At the end of the farewell ceremony, the body of John Paul II was transferred to the grotto of the Basilica (Cathedral) of St. Peter. John Paul II is buried next to the relics of the Holy Apostle Peter, in the chapel of the Mother of God of Czestochowa, the patron saint of Poland, not far from the chapel of the creators of the Slavic alphabet, Saints Cyril and Methodius, in the former grave of Pope John XXIII, whose ashes were buried in connection with his canonization in 2000 moved from the crypt of St. Peter's to the cathedral itself. Chapel of the Mother of God of Czestochowa in 1982, at the insistence of John Paul II, was restored, decorated with the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary and images of Polish saints.

Beatification of John Paul II

In the Latin tradition, beginning with the establishment of Pope Urban VIII in 1642, it is customary to distinguish between the process of being beatified (beatified) and saints (canonized). Later, under Pope Benedict XIV, requirements were established that the candidate must meet: his writings must comply with the teachings of the Church, the virtues he showed must be exceptional, and the facts of the miracle performed through his intercession must be documented or evidenced by witnesses.

For canonization, at least two miracles are required, through the intercession of the deceased. In the beatification and canonization of martyrs, the fact of a miracle is not required.

The issues of glorification are dealt with by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican, which studies the submitted materials and sends them, in case of a positive preliminary conclusion, for approval to the pope, after which the icon of the newly glorified is opened in St. Peter's Basilica.

John Paul II himself canonized more people as saints and blessed than all his predecessors after the 16th century. From 1594 (after the adoption by Sixtus V in 1588 of the apostolic constitution Immensa Aeterni Dei, concerning, in particular, issues of canonization) to 2004, 784 canonizations were made, of which 475 were during the pontificate of John Paul II. John Paul II numbered 1,338 people among the blessed. He declared Teresa of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI began the process of canonizing his predecessor, John Paul II. This was announced by Benedict XVI at a meeting of priests in the Basilica of St. John on the Lateran in Rome. A prerequisite for beatification is a miracle. It is believed that John Paul II healed the French nun Marie Simon-Pierre of Parkinson's disease a few years ago. On May 1, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II.

On April 29, 2011, the body of Pope John Paul II was exhumed and placed in front of the main altar of St. Peter, and after beatification reburied in a new tomb. The marble slab with which the former tomb of the pontiff was covered will be sent to his homeland - to Poland.

Canonization of John Paul II

The decision to canonize was made as a result of a cardinal consistory held by Pope Francis on September 30, 2013. On July 3, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints of the Holy See issued a statement that the second miracle necessary for canonization, with the assistance of the pontiff, occurred on May 1, 2011. A miracle happened in 2011 in Costa Rica with a woman named Floribet Mora Diaz, who was healed of a cerebral aneurysm thanks to the prayer and intercession of John Paul II.

Proceedings

John Paul II is the author of more than 120 philosophical and theological works, 14 encyclicals and five books, the last of which - "Memory and Identity" - was published on the eve of his hospitalization on February 23, 2005. His most popular book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, has sold over 20 million copies.

The most important goal for John Paul II as the head of the Catholic Church was the preaching of the Christian faith. John Paul was the author of a number of important documents, many of which have had and continue to have a huge impact on the Church and the whole world.

His first encyclicals were devoted to the triune essence of God, and the very first was "Jesus Christ, the Redeemer" ("Redemptor Hominis"). This focus on God continued throughout the pontificate.

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