2005 : Pope John Paul II Dies
On this day in 2005, John Paul II, history's most well-traveled pope
and the first non-Italian to hold the position since the 16th century,
dies at his home in the Vatican. Six days later, two million people
packed Vatican City for his funeral, said to be the biggest funeral in
history.
John Paul II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, 35
miles southwest of Krakow, in 1920. After high school, the future pope
enrolled at Krakow's Jagiellonian University, where he studied
philosophy and literature and performed in a theater group. During
World War II, Nazis occupied Krakow and closed the university, forcing
Wojtyla to seek work in a quarry and, later, a chemical factory. By
1941, his mother, father, and only brother had all died, leaving him
the sole surviving member of his family.
Although Wojtyla had been involved in the church his whole life, it
was not until 1942 that he began seminary training. When the war
ended, he returned to school at Jagiellonian to study theology,
becoming an ordained priest in 1946. He went on to complete two
doctorates and became a professor of moral theology and social ethics.
On July 4, 1958, at the age of 38, he was appointed auxiliary bishop
of Krakow by Pope Pius XII. He later became the city's archbishop,
where he spoke out for religious freedom while the church began the
Second Vatican Council, which would revolutionize Catholicism. He was
made a cardinal in 1967, taking on the challenges of living and
working as a Catholic priest in communist Eastern Europe. Once asked
if he feared retribution from communist leaders, he replied, "I'm not
afraid of them. They are afraid of me."
Wojtyla was quietly and slowly building a reputation as a powerful
preacher and a man of both great intellect and charisma. Still, when
Pope John Paul I died in 1978 after only a 34-day reign, few suspected
Wojtyla would be chosen to replace him. But, after seven rounds of
balloting, the Sacred College of Cardinals chose the 58-year-old, and
he became the first-ever Slavic pope and the youngest to be chosen in
132 years.
A conservative pontiff, John Paul II's papacy was marked by his firm
and unwavering opposition to communism and war, as well as abortion,
contraception, capital punishment, and homosexual sex. He later came
out against euthanasia, human cloning, and stem cell research. He
traveled widely as pope, using the eight languages he spoke (Polish,
Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin) and
his well-known personal charm, to connect with the Catholic faithful,
as well as many outside the fold.
On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter's Square by a
Turkish political extremist, Mehmet Ali Agca. After his release from
the hospital, the pope famously visited his would-be assassin in
prison, where he had begun serving a life sentence, and personally
forgave him for his actions. The next year, another unsuccessful
attempt was made on the pope's life, this time by a fanatical priest
who opposed the reforms of Vatican II.
Although it was not confirmed by the Vatican until 2003, many believe
Pope John Paul II began suffering from Parkinson's disease in the
early 1990s. He began to develop slurred speech and had difficulty
walking, though he continued to keep up a physically demanding travel
schedule. In his final years, he was forced to delegate many of his
official duties, but still found the strength to speak to the faithful
from a window at the Vatican. In February 2005, the pope was
hospitalized with complications from the flu. He died two months
later.
Pope John Paul II is remembered for his successful efforts to end
communism, as well as for building bridges with peoples of other
faiths, and issuing the Catholic Church's first apology for its
actions during World War II. He was succeeded by Joseph Cardinal
Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict XVI began the
process to beatify John Paul II in May 2005.
history.com/tdih.do
General Interest
2005 : Pope John Paul II Dies
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihVideoCategory&id=6855
1513 : Ponce de Leon discovers Florida
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4882
1917 : Jeannette Rankin assumes office
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4883
On this day in 2005, John Paul II, history's most well-traveled pope
and the first non-Italian to hold the position since the 16th century,
dies at his home in the Vatican. Six days later, two million people
packed Vatican City for his funeral, said to be the biggest funeral in
history.
John Paul II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, 35
miles southwest of Krakow, in 1920. After high school, the future pope
enrolled at Krakow's Jagiellonian University, where he studied
philosophy and literature and performed in a theater group. During
World War II, Nazis occupied Krakow and closed the university, forcing
Wojtyla to seek work in a quarry and, later, a chemical factory. By
1941, his mother, father, and only brother had all died, leaving him
the sole surviving member of his family.
Although Wojtyla had been involved in the church his whole life, it
was not until 1942 that he began seminary training. When the war
ended, he returned to school at Jagiellonian to study theology,
becoming an ordained priest in 1946. He went on to complete two
doctorates and became a professor of moral theology and social ethics.
On July 4, 1958, at the age of 38, he was appointed auxiliary bishop
of Krakow by Pope Pius XII. He later became the city's archbishop,
where he spoke out for religious freedom while the church began the
Second Vatican Council, which would revolutionize Catholicism. He was
made a cardinal in 1967, taking on the challenges of living and
working as a Catholic priest in communist Eastern Europe. Once asked
if he feared retribution from communist leaders, he replied, "I'm not
afraid of them. They are afraid of me."
Wojtyla was quietly and slowly building a reputation as a powerful
preacher and a man of both great intellect and charisma. Still, when
Pope John Paul I died in 1978 after only a 34-day reign, few suspected
Wojtyla would be chosen to replace him. But, after seven rounds of
balloting, the Sacred College of Cardinals chose the 58-year-old, and
he became the first-ever Slavic pope and the youngest to be chosen in
132 years.
A conservative pontiff, John Paul II's papacy was marked by his firm
and unwavering opposition to communism and war, as well as abortion,
contraception, capital punishment, and homosexual sex. He later came
out against euthanasia, human cloning, and stem cell research. He
traveled widely as pope, using the eight languages he spoke (Polish,
Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin) and
his well-known personal charm, to connect with the Catholic faithful,
as well as many outside the fold.
On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter's Square by a
Turkish political extremist, Mehmet Ali Agca. After his release from
the hospital, the pope famously visited his would-be assassin in
prison, where he had begun serving a life sentence, and personally
forgave him for his actions. The next year, another unsuccessful
attempt was made on the pope's life, this time by a fanatical priest
who opposed the reforms of Vatican II.
Although it was not confirmed by the Vatican until 2003, many believe
Pope John Paul II began suffering from Parkinson's disease in the
early 1990s. He began to develop slurred speech and had difficulty
walking, though he continued to keep up a physically demanding travel
schedule. In his final years, he was forced to delegate many of his
official duties, but still found the strength to speak to the faithful
from a window at the Vatican. In February 2005, the pope was
hospitalized with complications from the flu. He died two months
later.
Pope John Paul II is remembered for his successful efforts to end
communism, as well as for building bridges with peoples of other
faiths, and issuing the Catholic Church's first apology for its
actions during World War II. He was succeeded by Joseph Cardinal
Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict XVI began the
process to beatify John Paul II in May 2005.
history.com/tdih.do
General Interest
2005 : Pope John Paul II Dies
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihVideoCategory&id=6855
1513 : Ponce de Leon discovers Florida
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4882
1917 : Jeannette Rankin assumes office
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4883
1982 : Argentina invades Falklands
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4884
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