Pontifex Maximus

Every year on Easter Sunday, the pope gave his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's to tens of thousands of believers. He then sent the world Easter greetings in more than 60 languages. The term "Urbi et Orbi" means "for the city and for the world" and signifies that a papal document is addressed not only to the City of Rome, but to the entire Catholic world.

Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920, in the small southern Polish town of Wadowice, near Krakow. His father, a non-commissioned army officer, raised him after his mother died when he was eight. He was forced to interrupt his university studies after the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 and became a laborer. During the Nazi occupation, he secretly studied to become a priest and was ordained in 1946 at the age of 26. He became Poland's youngest bishop at 38 and was promoted to Archbishop of Krakow in 1964. Pope Paul VI made him a cardinal three years later.

Pope John Paul II repeatedly demanded debt relief for Africa's poorest nations. His message: "I ask the international community not to leave Africa in the lurch."

In Pope John Paul II's last book "Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way," published in 2004, he recollected his experiences as a bishop in communist-era Poland, telling how he was summoned from a canoeing trip to hear of his appointment and how he clashed with authorities.

One of the pope's greatest dreams was to visit the Holy Land. Expectations ran high when he traveled to Israel in March 2000. Israelis and Palestinians, Christians and Muslims all hoped for recognition and greater respect as a result of the visit. He continually called for the foundation of a separate Palestinian state as a basic requirement for continuing peace in the region.

The assassination attempt on John Paul II, on May 13, 1981, marked a turning point in his life. Right-wing Turkish terrorist Mehmed Ali Agca fired three bullets at the pope from close range, wounding him in the abdomen, the left hand and right arm. He survived only after extensive surgery. The pope later visited Agca in prison and forgave him publicly for the crime.

On Oct. 16, 1978, the College of Cardinals appointed Karol Wojtyla as the new pope, aged 58, following the sudden death of his predecessor, John Paul I, after only 33 days in office. His election to the papacy came somewhat as a surprise, as he was the first non-Italian pontiff in 455 years. Pope John Paul II was also the first Polish pontiff in the Church's history.

Entering his ninth decade, the pope accepted his frailty with humility and offered to put his fate in the hands of God in 1995: "I leave it up to Him to decide how and when he will relieve me of my duties." He began preparing the church for his succession during his Silver Jubilee in 2003. He also appointed more cardinals who will now elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.

Pope John Paul II took 102 foreign trips to over 130 countries. He traveled the equivalent of 30 times the circumference of the earth, spending more than three years away from the Vatican. Hardly anyone before him has personally spoken to so many people. Yet John Paul II maintained an independent stance. Just as he denounced totalitarian regimes of all kinds, he continued to criticize consumption-oriented western society.

Pope John Paul II's 25th anniversary celebrations included the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He deeply admired her and called her a role model for mankind. The nun of Albanian origin, who founded the Missionaries of Charity order in 1950, died in 1997. Her beatification process was the fastest in the history of the Church.

John Paul II traveled to more than 130 countries during 100 trips abroad. Few others have spoken with as many dignitaries as the pope. Still, John Paul II never allowed secular leaders to claim him: He denounced totalitarian regimes of any kind and criticized the West's consumerism until the very end.

The fall of communism occured during John Paul II's papacy and he has been credited with playing a large role in bringing democracy to his home country, Poland. His open support of the anti-communist Solidarnosc union under Lech Walesa has been described as an essential factor in ending socialism in Poland.

Already in his first year in office, Pope John Paul II took off on a series of trips. He visited Mexico, Ireland, Poland and the US and addressed hundreds of thousands of people. The pope remained a world traveller long after many thought his poor health wouldn't allow it.

John Paul II was widely respected for his efforts against war. From the start, he said there was no moral justification for the US-led war on Iraq, lending moral support to the peace movement.

In an unprecedented event for the Church, Pope John Paul II made a historical mouseclick, sending a special message to bishops via e-mail. The 2001 Vatican event marked the first time in the Catholic capital's history that the pope personally used the Internet to send an official pontifical document around the world.

In the course of his career, John Paul II's church policies became increasingly conservative. Many Catholics, especially in the developed world, took issue with his uncompromising proclamations against contraception, abortion, married priests and female clergy. Some accused him of being too authoritative and unyielding. Many said he misjudged the world, with its changed sexual morals, AIDS and overpopulation.

Ever since the attack on his life in summer of 1981, John Paul II used a so-called bullet-proof "popemobile" during his public appearances.

The man once called "God's athlete" went from being a robust globetrotter to a frail, pained man weighed down by Parkinson's disease and arthritis. Yet Pope John Paul II accepted his frailty and adamantly refused to step down. Already in 1995, he said only God would decide on the duration of his pontificate. In 2003, though, the pope started increasingly preparing the Church for the time after his death, naming further cardinals, who are eligible to vote on his successor.

John Paul II stands out from his predecessors when it comes to contact to other religions. He was the first pope to visit a mosque and a synagogue. During a trip to Jerusalem in March 2000, he asked the Jews for forgiveness for the crimes Christians committed against them.

After years of public suffering, John Paul II was taken to hospital twice in 2005, receiving a tracheotomy which made it virtually impossible for him to speak during his final public appearances.