Pope John Paul II
His Life And Achievements
On the death of Pope John Paul II at the age of 84, we look back at the life of the pontiff. Karol Wojtyla, the first Polish pope, was appointed leader of the Catholic Church in 1978. Although respected, he was little known outside Vatican circles, and few tipped him as successor to Pope John Paul, who died after only 33 days in office.
Born near Krakow in 1920, Karol Wojtyla enjoyed sports including football and skiing. A theatre lover, one of his early ambitions was to become an actor.
During the Nazi occupation in World War II he studied theology – mostly in hiding - and was eventually ordained a priest in 1946. He was quickly promoted up the ranks of the Catholic clergy, becoming archbishop of Krakow in 1964 and cardinal in 1967.
Pope John Paul’s papacy was characterised by almost constant travelling. He visited more than 100 countries and is estimated to have spanned the globe 27 times.
However his wish for closeness to his flock almost led to his death. In 1981 he was shot and seriously wounded by Mehmet Ali Hagca in St Peter's Square.
Although John Paul gained popularity for his progressive, hands-on leadership, he also drew criticism, particularly over his views on divorce, contraception and abortion.
At a Vatican conference in 2001 he spoke out against laws allowing divorce, abortion, homosexual unions and rights for unmarried couples. He has also been criticised for not speaking out and condemning the recent spate of sexual abuse cases by priests of children in their care.
In recent years, John Paul has become increasingly frail and dogged by ill health. He had a tumour removed from his colon in 1992, dislocated his shoulder in 1993 and broke an arm in 1994. In 2001 an orthopaedic surgeon confirmed what had been suspected for some time - that the Pope was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
On 14 March 2004, the pontiff became the third-longest serving in the history of the Catholic Church.
The Pope marked his 84th birthday in May of that year, but despite deteriorating health refused to let up his gruelling schedule of appearances and foreign trips.
How A Pope Is Chosen
Firstly, the death of a Pope will be verified by the head of the Sacred College of Cardinals, who follow specific procedures such as the breaking of the papal ring and seal.
The Pope is buried and nine days of mourning follow. Then, 15 to 20 day’s after the Pope’s death, the Cardinals meet to elect the next Pontiff. The election, known as a conclave, is held in a secure and sealed part of the Sistine Chapel. Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote and secret written ballots are used. The ballots are then counted by the Cardinals.
A papal candidate must receive two-thirds of the vote plus one to be chosen as the next pontiff. Four ballots are taken each day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon until a vote is successful.
The ballots are burned after each vote and if the vote is unsuccessful, a substance is added to the fire to produce black smoke. This signals to the crowd outside that a successor has not yet been chosen. A white smoke signal means that a new Pope has been chosen.
When a candidate has been chosen, an official asks him if he accepts the papacy. On accepting, the candidate is appointed Bishop of Rome. A shout then goes up: “Habemus papum!” (“We have a Pope!”) The new Pontiff then steps out on the balcony of the Vatican to greet the waiting crowds.