Pope John Paul II

aka JP II, Pope Saint John Paul II the Great, PP Ioannes Paulus II, Pope John Paul II, Saint John Paul II, Karol Wojtyła, JPII, Karol Wojtyla

Pope

First non-Italian pope in 455 years (1978-2005, 26+ year pontificate). Born Karol Wojtyła in Wadowice, Poland. June 1979 Poland pilgrimage drew ecstatic crowds, making entire generation aware of their power to demand change - groundbreaking sociologically powerful event. Visit directly contributed to Solidarity formation (1980). Wałęsa credited him with giving Poles courage to challenge communism. Spiritual inspiration behind communism's peaceful downfall. Unabashed Polish nationalism and emphasis on nonviolent activism aided 1980s Solidarity, ultimately contributing to Soviet Union's peaceful dissolution (1991). Instrumental in East European communism's collapse (1989-1990) and democracy's reintroduction across Eastern Bloc.

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