Charismatic man, troubled pontificate: The legacy of Pope John Paul II

Whether you loved or hated him, Pope John Paul II had an undeniable charm, an unflagging charisma. These traits would prove to be beneficial when taking firm stances on issues such as capital punishment and contraception; when encouraging dialogue between Christianity and Judaism and Islam; and in establishing gatherings as large as the 19 World Youth Days that occurred during his close to three decades as the 263rd successor to the Apostle Peter.

Pre-pontificate

Born Karol Józef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920 in the Polish town of Wadowice, the pope-to-be displayed an interest in athletics, dramatics, and poetry as a student of Krakow's Jagiellonian University.

The Nazi occupation forced the school to close down in 1939 and Karol to toil—first in a quarry, then at a chemical factory—to save himself from being deported to Germany. However, he would feel called to the priesthood in 1942 and began studying at a clandestine seminary in Krakow. He was ordained a priest a year after World War II ended.

He rose quickly through the ranks of priest, cardinal, bishop, and archbishop over the next decade. Earning his name as one of the Catholic Church's leading thinkers, he also finished his studies in philosophy and theology and held professorships in theology in the Lublin Catholic University and in moral theology and social ethics at the same Krakow seminary.

As the Archbishop of Krakow, Karol participated in the Second Vatican Council and made a significant contribution to the Apostolic Constitution of Gaudium et spes. This document deals with Church teachings about social justice, poverty, economics, culture, ecumenism, science, and technology.

He was elevated to the status of Pope during the Conclave of October 16, 1978.

As Pope John Paul II

The Polish former pope, the first non-Italian in 400 years, enjoyed almost 27 years as the Lord's Shepherd, one of the longest reigns of any pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. To be sure, no one can call his time as pope anything but dull.

He traveled to over 100 countries, turned 482 individuals into official saints, published five books, and over a hundred documents, and is credited for the downfall of Communism in his native Poland.

On May 13, 1981, John Paul II was shot four times by Turkish would-be-assassin Mehmet Ali Agca. The pope later forgave Agca in his prison and even struck up a friendship with him. Agca even sent John Paul II a letter wishing him well during the latter's illness in 2005.

But the man who would be saint was definitely not perfect. He was often criticized for being unbending toward issues such as contraception, abortion, and homosexuality; for being intolerant toward his dissenters; for sheltering and defending two priests involved in the Church's widespread sex abuse scandals and the subsequent cover-ups; and for himself turning a blind eye toward the affair.

Even in present-day Krakow, not all look up to John Paul II. As of Wednesday, April 23, municipal workers are working to remove paint smeared by anonymous vandals across his stone memorial, according to a Reuters report.

In her most recent column in the New York Times, Maureen Dowd said that as "a man who looked away in a moral crisis"—the child sex abuse scandals and cover-ups that came to light during his reign—John Paul "ain't no saint."

Fast-tracked sainthood

There was a clamor for his beatification immediately following his death on April 2, 2005 after a long illness. His doctor claimed he had Parkinson's disease, but the Vatican has yet to make a comment on that.

His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, waived the requisite five-year waiting period after a person's death and quickly set John Paul on the road to sainthood. He proclaimed his predecessor Venerable on December 19, 2009, and then beatified him on May 1, 2011.

Two approved miracles have been attributed to John Paul II: the curing of a French nun dying of Parkinson's disease, and the curing of a 50-year-old Costa Rican woman with a brain aneurysm. The former prayed to John Paul II for healing, while the latter claimed that she heard the former pope's voice speaking to her after she watched his beatification ceremony on TV.

Alongside “The Good Pope” John XXIII, John Paul II will be made a saint on Sunday, April 27. — Vida Cruz/BM, GMA News