Pope John Paul II laughs during a gathering in St. Peter’s Square with tens of thousands of young people from Rome and the Lazio region, ahead of the 18th World Youth Day celebrations on Palm ...

St. John Paul II’s birthday is May 18; he was born on this day in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. When he was elected to the papacy in 1978, he became the first non-Italian to be elected as the Holy ...

Some reportedly waited in line for 13 hours to view Pope John Paul II’s body and pray. Wait times Wednesday through Friday for Pope Francis were anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.

John Paul I’s papacy lasted just 33 days. Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who succeeded him, chose the name John Paul II. JOHN: Chosen 23 times by popes, most recently in 1958 by Pope John XXIII.

The first from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope and the first to use a new papal name in a millennium. Pope John Paul II installed Francis as Cardinal, then known as Jorge Bergoglio, in 2001.

New book also reveals that Pope John Paul had a mean sweet tooth and a temper. Jan. 27, 2010— -- Pope John Paul II, whose world travels helped modernize the papacy, sometimes practiced ...

Relive Pope John Paul II’s 1987 visit to Miami. Storms, a blessing under the rain at Tamiami Park, and memories that made history.