John Paul II’s legacy
Pope John Paul II’s lasting legacy is as an enduring symbol for peace who met and forgave his would-be assassin, improved relationships between leaders of world religions, and was instrumental in the collapse of communism in Poland.
He also mobilized Catholic youth, creating World Youth Day, traveled the world and canonized more saints than all the popes in the previous 400 years combined.
Still, he wasn’t immune from controversy. Toward the end of his 27-year-papacy, John Paul II — then afflicted with Parkinson’s — was criticized over the church’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. The scandal continues to plague the church today, as it pays out millions of dollars to victims in legal settlements and deals with ongoing investigations.
The late pope also criticized by progressives for his unwavering position on the church’s opposition to birth control and women’s role within the church.
Born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland, John Paul II served as Archbishop of Krakow before being elected pope in 1978 by the College of Cardinals. He was the first non-Italian pope since 1523.
John Paul II died in April 2005 at the age of 84.