Biography of pope john paul 11

Karol Józef Wojtyla , known as John Paul II since his October election to the papacy, was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska.

His mother died in His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in A sister, Olga, had died before he was born.

He was baptized on June 20, in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr.

Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow's Jagiellonian University in and in a school for drama.

The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in and young Karol had to work in a quarry () and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany.

In , aware of his call to the p