Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II Biography
Pope John Paul II has many first to his credit. He has been responsible for positively changing the image of the church when there was a danger of it slipping into the dark ages. Pope John Paul II is the most traveled Pope ever. Instead of being a recluse he opened the doors of the Vatican to the faithful.

Health of Pope John Paul II Continues to Deteriorate
The Vatican says Pope John Paul is conscious and lucid but remains in very serious condition after suffering heart failure on Thursday.

Leadership Lessons from Pope John Paul II
How did such an unlikely candidate for the head of the Roman Catholic Church rise so quickly to such prominence? What leadership lessons can we learn from this global spiritual leader who so moved the world? Here is a brief timeline snap-shot of Karol Josef Wojtyla’s exemplary leadership:

Pope Pays Homage to John Paul With Trip to Poland
Pope Benedict XVI yesterday began his first papal trip to Poland on a visit designed to pay homage to his predecessor John Paul II and to promote German-Polish reconciliation. Crowds clutching yellow and white Vatican flags cheered as the Pope arrived in Warsaw yesterday at the beginning of a four-day pilgrimage, which will see him visit Auschwitz.

Turk Who Shot Pope Freed From Jail
· Controversy over release of gunman after 25 years · Nationalist has never explained his motive

Jews and Catholics Bid for Pope's Family Home
The two rooms and a kitchen in southern Poland where Karol Wojtyla was born in 1920 is now a shrine to the memory of the late Pope John Paul II, visited by up to 5,000 pilgrims every day.

John Paul's Sainthood Opposed
A group of prominent Roman Catholic theologians and writers has revealed it is trying to stop the late pope John Paul II being declared a saint.

Pope Benedict To Devote Papacy To The Teachings Of John Paul II
Pope Benedict will ensure that the teachings of his predecessor John Paul II are understood and assimilated.

Pope Sets Predecessor on Road to Sainthood in Record 26 Days
Pope Benedict yesterday revealed that he had set his predecessor, John Paul II, on the road to possible sainthood just 26 days after the late pontiff's death.

The Long Goodbye
Ian Mayes: The readers' editor on the Guardian's coverage of the death of the Pope.

The Final Farewell
Kings, presidents and 2m faithful give John Paul raucous send-off.

Pope Laid to Rest
Applause and bells rang out in St Peter's Square today as Pope John Paul II was laid to rest, with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathering to mourn the pontiff.

Hundreds of Thousands Mourn Pope
Pallbearers this morning carried the simple cypress coffin carrying the body of Pope John Paul II onto the stone steps in front of St Peter's basilica in Rome, laying it down as a choir sang "Grant him eternal rest, O Lord" to mark the start of his funeral mass.

Pope's Funeral Begins
Pallbearers carried the body of Pope John Paul II onto the stone steps in front of St Peter's basilica this morning, laying the simple cypress coffin down as a choir sang to mark the start of his funeral mass.

The Pope and England: A Mystic’s Journal Entry April 4, 2005
A Mystic’s Journal Entry April 4, 2005 by author Laurie Conrad.

Battle Begins for Soul of Church
· Conservatives make first move to claim legacy
· Pope's funeral later this week
· Two million to travel to Rome

Media, The Pope & The War
As we reflect on the legacy of John Paul II, we should consider who he was, what he stood for, and what he stood against. The Pope's opposition to war received little more coverage on American media than the assault on the Abu Ghraib prison.

Pope's Body Laid Out in Vatican
Pope John Paul II's body went on display at the Vatican today as thousands of grieving pilgrims converged on Rome to pay homage to the leader of the Catholic church.

Pilgrims Mourn John Paul Ii
Thousands of grieving pilgrims converged on Rome today to pay homage to Pope John Paul II, who died last night after a long illness.

How a New Pope Will Be Chosen
Arrangements for John Paul's funeral, the interregnum and the election of a new pontiff will follow a long-established pattern.

Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005: A Mystic’s Journal Entry April 2, 2005
The passing of John Paul II: A Mystic’s Journal Entry April 2, 2005 by author Laurie Conrad.

Poles Stage Vigils for National Hero
From the Baltic coast in the north to the southern mountains of Poland where Pope John Paul grew up, Poles flocked to Roman Catholic churches yesterday to pray for their national hero.

Ancient Rituals to Find a Modern Pope
When a pontiff dies the cardinals go into conclave to choose a successor. But unlike in the past they will not be forced into a quick decision.

Pope 'lucid' After Heart Failure
Pope John Paul was today in a "very serious" condition after suffering heart failure but the Vatican insisted he was "conscious, lucid and serene".

Pope Suffers Heart Failure
Pope John Paul has suffered heart failure and the Vatican today said his condition was very serious but he was "lucid and serene".

Pope Worsens With High Fever
Doctors in the Vatican were last night battling to save Pope John Paul II after a sudden deterioration in his condition.

Ailing Pope is No Longer Actively Running Catholic Church, Spokesman Indicates
In a statement announcing that the ailing pontiff was now being fed through a tube in his nose, his spokesman said merely that the pontiff was "following" the church's activities.

Pope Blesses Easter Faithful But is Unable to Speak
Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Vatican yesterday bore witness to the fact that Pope John Paul can no longer speak. It is now two weeks since he managed to do so in public, on the day he last left hospital.

John Paul Ii Returns to Vatican After Blessing the Crowds
Pope John Paul II left hospital last night after speaking briefly in public for the first time since an operation 17 days ago to insert a tube in his windpipe.

Pope Offers a Sign of Recovery
Pope John Paul II made an unexpected appearance yesterday at his hospital window, making the sign of the cross to show that he was still with the Catholic world although his recent operation means he cannot speak.

Sick Pope to Miss Angelus Service
Pope John Paul II will today follow the Vatican's traditional Sunday address from his hospital room while an aide reads his words and blesses crowds on his behalf in Rome's St Peter's Square

Pope Breathing Unaided After Operation
Pope John Paul II is well, breathing on his own, and "relieved" after his tracheotomy operation last night, the Vatican said today.

Ailing Pope Has Throat Surgery
Pope John Paul II last night underwent surgery to his windpipe after being rushed to hospital for the second time in a month with what the Vatican described as "acute" respiratory difficulties.

Pope's Four-word Window Blessing
The Pope appeared at his hospital window yesterday and uttered four almost unintelligible words of blessing to the crowds below to show that his ailing body has not yet defeated him.

John Paul Remains in Hospital After Crisis
Vatican appears calm but experts warn of complications.

Concern As Pope is Rushed to Hospital With Flu
Pope John Paul II, the leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics, was rushed to hospital in Rome late last night in circumstances that raised serious concerns about his health.

Pope Warns Feminists
Bishops told to take hard line on issue of gender. The Pope will call on leaders of the Roman Catholic church today to attack feminist ideologies which assert that men and women are fundamentally the same.

Pope to Visit 'most Loyal' Irish Flock
The Pope is to return to Ireland a quarter of a century after his last visit inspired a bout of unprecedented religious fervour and brought millions of Catholics out on to the streets to greet him. The Vatican confirmed last night that the ageing pontiff had agreed in principle to accept...

Pope Returns Icon to Russia
Pope John Paul is to remove one of the Orthodox church's most revered icons from his private chapel and dispatch it to Moscow in an attempt to improve the Vatican's tense relations with the Russian Orthodox hierarchy. The Madonna of Kazan has been a bone of contention between the two...

Pope May Make First Trip to Ulster
Speculation is mounting that Pope John Paul II will visit Ireland in the autumn and make his first journey to Northern Ireland, despite fears of Protestant protests. Senior Irish bishops have sent an invitation to the Vatican and are understood to have discussed the visit with officials...

Pope Urges Bush to Resolve Iraq Crisis
Barely audible but with a clear intent, a frail Pope John Paul II today called for the speedy return of Iraqi sovereignty as he met US president George Bush in the Vatican. The 84-year-old pontiff, an opponent of the US-led war in Iraq, sat alongside the president as he delivered the...

Pope Gives Top Position to Disgraced Boston Cardinal
The former Archbishop of Boston, accused of covering up the activities of paedophile priests and forced to resign, was given a prestigious sinecure by the Pope yesterday. The appointment of Cardinal Bernard Law as Archpriest of the St Mary Major basilica, the third most illustrious place...

Pope Canonises Mother Who Refused Abortion
A mother who refused cancer treatment and died so her fourth child could be born was elevated to sainthood yesterday in a move seen by many as a strong statement from the Vatican against the legalisation of abortion. Pope John Paul II canonised Gianna Beretta Molla, along with five other...

Sprightly Pope Announces Six More Beatifications
Pope John Paul II announced six beatifications in four different languages and then braved wind and rain to kiss several children as he toured St Peter's Square.

Pope to Publish Polish Memoirs
Pontiff's latest book will look back over John Paul's years as a bishop in Poland. He's a proven bestseller, one of the few who can compete with the JK Rowlings of the literary world. And yesterday, his publishers announced that his latest, long-awaited book will be out in May.

Pope 'losing the Power of Speech'
The Pope will today celebrate a quarter of a century in office amid growing concern that illness could prevent him carrying out his duties. The 83-year-old pontiff, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and cannot walk, was on good form yesterday at a routine weekly general audience in St...

Crowds throng Pompeii for a glimpse of Pope
They came in their thousands, doubling the population of the ancient city of Pompeii, straining to catch a glimpse of the man many fear may not make it outside the Vatican again.

Church rifts remain after Pope meets Archbishop
The ailing Pope John Paul II spoke yesterday of growing divisions between the Churches after a symbolic meeting in the Vatican with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

Pope's aides admit he is unable to work normally
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has been told by the Pope's aides not to expect a substantive discussion with the ailing pontiff when he meets him at the Vatican today, according to two sources privy to preparations for the visit.

Cheers and tears for ailing Pope
A frail Pope held his weekly general audience yesterday, encouraged by an applauding crowd of 12,000, some crying amid deepening concern over the pontiff's degenerating health.

Ailing Pope Names New Cardinals
Pope John Paul II, who is in declining health, yesterday announced 31 new cardinals to join the ranks of those who will eventually choose his successor.

Frail Pope Rallies But Thoughts Turn to His Successor
The Vatican insisted there was no cause for alarm over the health of Pope John Paul after he presided yesterday at a long open-air mass for tens of thousands of people in Slovakia. On Thursday the Pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and can no longer walk, slumped in his chair,...

A million Spaniards turn out for the Pope
An aged and ailing Pope John Paul II proved he had lost none of his popular appeal yesterday when 1m people crammed into a Madrid square for what many Roman Catholics in Spain presumed would be their last glimpse of the best-travelled pontiff in history.

Big Macs Replace Loaves and Fishes at Pope's Pray-in
Several hundred thousand young Spaniards will be welcomed to Madrid this week by, on the one hand, McDonald's, the legendary and controversial provider of fast food to the world, and on the other, Pope John Paul II.

Pope Puts Pressure on Us
The Pope delivered a coded rebuke to Washington yesterday when he urged Iraqis to take charge of the rebuilding of their country while working closely with the international community.

Vatican barters with Russia for papal visit
The Vatican is using a 16th-century icon that is one of the holiest objects in Orthodox Russia as a bargaining chip in the attempt to secure a visit to Russia by Pope John Paul II.

Pope's Poetic Last Testament
Catholic leader's reflections on life and death published. Pope John Paul II has let his feelings flow in a book of poetry seen as his "last testament" after almost 25 years leading the world's one billion Roman Catholics.

Blair to Have Private Audience With Pope
Tony Blair is to have a private audience with the Pope, the religious leader most obdurate in his opposition to war with Iraq, during a visit to Rome on Saturday. Although Downing Street would not confirm the details of the audience, the prime minister's chances of convincing the world's...

Visit to Italian parliament signals new era in Vatican relations
The Pope yesterday symbolically closed the Vatican's territorial dispute with the Italian state by making the first papal visit to the Italian parliament, where he urged MPs to place spiritual values at the heart of their political action.

Millions Hear Weary Pope Warn Against 'playing God'
The Pope celebrated the high point of what is probably his last visit to his homeland yesterday with the biggest mass in Polish history.

Poles Turn Out in Thousands for Frail Pope's 'farewell'
Pope John Paul II's visit to Krakow has been tinged with sadness, since many regarded it as the frail Pope's farewell homecoming.

Indigenous Americans get their first saint
The Pope is in Mexico today to make a 16th-century Nahuatl into the continent's first indigenous saint. It is part of a strategy to stem the advance of evangelical sects among the poor and downtrodden descendants of the first Latin American converts to Catholicism.

Pope quashes resignation rumours
The Pope has used a front-page article in an Italian newspaper to deny rumours that his deteriorating health may force him to resign.

The saint maker
Pope John Paul II will today mark the canonisation of the controversial Padre Pio. Tracy McVeigh reports on the miracles - and the politics.

Pope Donates a Fragment of Forerunner
Mutilating a corpse and discreetly packing a piece in your luggage before boarding a plane is the sort of thing that gets people arrested. But not if you are the Pope.

Frail Pope Visits Flock of 120 Azeri Faithful
The Pope was too frail to walk off his plane yesterday at the start of a visit to Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic with just 120 registered Roman Catholics, fewer than were on the aircraft.

Pope fears 'war has been declared on peace'
Pope John Paul yesterday used his traditional Easter message to plead for peace in a Middle East "plunged again in these very days into horror and despair".

The Observer Profile: The Pope
As John Paul II, he may be seen by millions as God's representative on Earth but as Karol Wojtyla he is a man trapped in an increasingly frail body. So will he be the first Pope for more than 700 years to step down asks Philip Willan.

Increasing Infirmity Limits the Pope
With the prospect growing of Pope John Paul needing to make increasing use of a wheelchair, he was last night forced to watch the stations of the cross ceremony at the Roman Colosseum, a highlight of the Christian year, while sitting on a chair on the neighbouring Palatine Hill. Poor...