John Paul II – with proper name Karol Wojtyla – was born on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. During World War II he started studying theology secretly and he continued with it after the liberation of Poland at Jagiellonian University. In November 1946 he was ordained a priest, in July 1958 he was appointed  an assistant bishop in Krakow and in December 1963 he became the Krakow archbishop.  Pope Paul VI appointed Karol Wojtyla a cardinal on June 26, 1967. In a conclave on October 16, 1978 the cardinals elected him to be the 264th successor of Apostle Peter &ndash...