Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła, led the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was canonized in 2014.
Pope Benedict XVI: Joseph Ratzinger, pope from 2005 to 2013, served as John Paul II’s doctrinal prefect for more than two decades. As head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger was one of John Paul II’s closest senior advisers.
Solidarity: A Polish trade union and social movement founded in 1980 that helped end communist rule in Poland. John Paul II’s visits and defense of Polish dignity strengthened the religious and civic environment in which Solidarity grew.
Theology of the Body: A series of catecheses by John Paul II on embodiment, sexuality, marriage, and human dignity, delivered from 1979 to 1984. These teachings express his distinctive account of the human person and sexual ethics.
Second Vatican Council: The Catholic Church’s ecumenical council held from 1962 to 1965, which revised liturgy and reshaped its relations with the modern world. Wojtyła participated as a bishop, then governed a church implementing the council’s contested reforms.
Karol Wojtyła: The Polish name and identity of Pope John Paul II before and during his papacy. His life before election as pope included work as a priest, philosopher, bishop, and cardinal.
Stanisław Dziwisz: A Polish Catholic prelate who served as Karol Wojtyła’s secretary from 1966 until Wojtyła’s death. Dziwisz accompanied John Paul II through his episcopacy, papacy, and final illness.
Fall of communism: The collapse of communist governments across Central and Eastern Europe, culminating in 1989 and the early 1990s. John Paul II’s moral authority and Polish roots formed one influence among many opposing communist rule.
Evangelium Vitae: A 1995 encyclical by John Paul II addressing the value and inviolability of human life. It presents his opposition to abortion and euthanasia as part of a broader defense of human dignity.
Catholic sexual abuse cases: Cases in which clergy or church personnel sexually abused minors or vulnerable people, and institutions failed to prevent or address abuse. Criticism of his governance includes the Vatican’s delayed and inadequate responses to abuse by clergy.
Wadowice: A town in southern Poland where Karol Wojtyła was born in 1920. Wojtyła’s childhood in Wadowice preceded the wartime and religious experiences that shaped his vocation.