Pope John Paul II

From an anonymous birth in a small Polish town to the most widely followed funeral in human history, Karol Wojtyla's epic life story mirrors the turbulence of the 20th century.

As a child and young man, his struggle was mostly private: losing his mother at age 8, hounded by the Nazis for organizing underground church meetings and theater events, forging on with his ministry despite the Iron Curtain's imposed atheism. By the time he was in his 40s, the magnetic priest had risen to Archbishop, and was helping shape the reforms of the Second Vatican Council...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!