Summary In the program The Traveling Pope we pass through the details of the life of Karol Wojtyla, from his childhood and youth in Communist Poland up to the moment when he was elected Holy Father in October 1978 and assumed the name of John Paul II. As a representative of the Holy See, he was called the Pope of Peace because of his propensity toward dialogue and unity, though his critics considered him to be a contradictory man. During his papacy he visited more than 600 cities in 129 countries and his pastoral visits promoted and spread the Catholic religion. His political influence contributed to the fall of Communism and in 2000, in celebration of the Jubilee, he visited Jerusalem. Millions of people looked toward Rome, seeking both guidance and consolation for their spiritual and moral troubles. John Paul II maintained contact with the faithful up until just shortly before his death on April 2, 2005. John Paul II will be remembered as the Pope who, in the years of the changing century, began a new era in the Catholic Church. View more details

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