Karol Josef Wojtyla, most popularly known as Pope John Paul II started his papacy on October 16, 1978.
The whole world was surprised to see a pope not only a non-Italian but relatively young considering most of his predecessors were beyond the age of sixty.
He was young, strong, healthy, athletic and most have predicted that he will reign at Vatican longer...True, he did, his papacy was the 3rd longest in history.
May 13, 1981- The feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, he was riding on his papal mobile trying to reach out and accommodate the faithful crowds, he was shot!
He was rushed to the hospital. There were vigils at St. Peter's Square, Gemelli Hospital (were he was taken), in Poland and almost in all part of the Globe...in the hospital, the doctors asked his secretary (Stanislaw Dziwisz) to give him the last sacrament. In Poland - Cardinal Wynzynski, the primate of Poland and his mentor was also in his dying bed...whispered to God, "take my life not his"
Hours have passed...the operation was successful (more than a foot of his intestine was taken off), but there was still a possibility of infection.
He was pronounced safe! A miracle! The Holy Mother saved him! The whole catholic church felt victorious!
He was released from the hospital...Appeared at St. Peter's Square ( amidst of all worries and fears of the people in Vatican) He was more determined, Standing tall in his own eyes and those of the whole world!
He may have survived that tragic incident...But that would be the start of his agony...a tumor, broken femur, hip replacement, arthritis and the worse...Parkinson's Disease.
Pains he did not attempt to hide or conceal, An agony he chose to deal with silence. And resorted to prayers...consecrated himself to God and His Holy mother...Continued the task of spreading the "Word of God" and bringing the church closer to men and in so doing men closer to God.
Pope John Paul II -Earlier years of papacy
(Youthful, Athletic, Strong, Healthy, A picture of excitement and hope)
May 13, 1981 - St. Peter's Square
Gemelli Hospital, Recovering after a successful operation
Carcere Di Roma, after two years
(Visited, forgiven & prayed Memet Ali-Agca)
Gemelli Hospital in 1992
(For his operation - tumor in the colon)
Right before the Eyes of the Whole Word
(He suffered but tirelessly continued his task)
His Journey...to travel the path the Lord had given him
(Without doubts or hesitations...Without attempt to conceal or hide the signs and symptoms)
Gemelli Hospital
(A tracheotomy was performed - to ease the difficulty in breathing)
The words he uttered " LET'S GO HOME"
(He insisted to get out of the hospital back to the Vatican)
On March 27, Easter Sunday (Vatican)
"Repeatedly tried to vocalize his traditional Easter blessing, "urbi et orbi",
the Holy Father gave his blessing in silence."
The last public image of Pope John Paul II (alive)
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During the final days of the Pope's life,
the lights were kept burning through the night where he lay in the Papal apartment
on the top floor of the Apostolic Palace.
Tens of thousands of people assembled and held vigil in St. Peter's Square
and the surrounding streets for two days.
Upon hearing of this, the dying pope was said to have stated:
"I have searched for you, and now you have come to me, and I thank you."
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On Saturday 2 April 2005, at about 15:30 CEST
John Paul II spoke his final words, "pozwólcie mi odejść do domu Ojca"
("Let me depart to the house of the Father")
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Pope John Paul II
"We Miss You"
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