Background

Karol Józef Wojtyła (pronounced: voy-TEE-wah; was born on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Southern Poland, a son of a former officer in the Habsburg army.
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The First Polish Pope

On October 16, 1978, at age 58, he succeeded Pope John Paul I, fulfilling a prophecy made to him decades 

earlier by Padre Pio that he would one day be pope. more>>

Travels

During his reign, Pope John Paul II has made more foreign trips than all previous popes put together.
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Social/Political
Stances

John Paul II is considered a conservative on doctrine and issues relating
to reproduction and the ordination of women. more>>

Health Problems 

After over twenty-five years on the papal throne, two assassination attempts, the first of which seriously injured him, and a number of cancer scares, John Paul's physical health has declined.
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Selecting a New
Pope 

The College of Cardinals elects a new pope in conclave, which is the process of sequestering the voting members of the college in Vatican City so that they have no contact with the outside world.
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