In Honor of the 96th Anniversary of Saint John Paul the Great's Birth – A Retrospective
Saint Pope John Paul the Great Karol Józef Wojtyła was born 96 years ago, on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, the youngest of three children, to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Wojtyla, (née Kaczorowska). The future pope's father was a non-commissioned officer of the Imperial Royal Army and a Polish Army captain. His mother had a premonition about her youngest child saying, "Karol is destined to be a great man." Young Wojtyla, c 1929 Date of birth: May 18, 1920 Date of death: April 2, 2005 Birth place: Wadowice, Poland Education: Doctorate in Philosophy, Doctorate in Sacred Theology, Jagiellonian University Feast Day: October 22 (date of papal inauguration) Apostolic Motto: Totus Tuus (Totally yours) Notes of Interest: Upon his election in 1978, John Paul II was the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years. At 58, he was the youngest pope since the election of Pope Pius IX (age 54), in 1846. During his pontificate, he visited 129 countries, travel