About Pope John Paul II
Baptismal Name: Karol Jozef Wojtyla
Date of Birth: May 18, 1920
Place of Birth: Wadowice, Poland
Father's Name: Carolus
Mother's Name: Emilia
Number of siblings: 2 (Edmund and Olga)
Nickname: Lolek, diminutive of Karol; named by his sister Olga
Hobbies/Sports: writing, hiking, soccer
Languages (8):
Previous aspiration: be a cloistered Carmelite priest
Ordained: November 1, 1946
Installed as Archbishop of Krakow: 1964
Appointed as Cardinal by Pope Paul Vi: 1967
Elected as 264th Pope: October 16, 1978 (first Polish pope)
Motto: Totus Tuus ("I am wholly yours" or "Totally Yours")
Papal visits trademark: Kissing the ground where he arrived (First: Mexico, January 1979)
Travels: 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy.
Beatification and canonization: presided at 147 beatification ceremonies ( 1,338 Blesseds proclaimed ) and 51 canonization ceremonies ( 482 Saints ) during his pontificate.
Died: April 2, 2005.
Other info: more biography