Paus yohanes paulus ii biography

Karol Józef Wojty&#x;a, 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 Wojty&#x;a 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 priesthood, he began courses in the clande