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Pope John Paul II died on this day in 2005. What is your opinion of him?

A quick summary of his life and work, for those interested...

He was born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. He was ordained a priest in 1946, after having trained in secret due to the Nazi invasion and occupation of Poland. In October 1978, he was elected pope at the comparatively young age (by papal standards) of 58 and had one of the longest reigns in history.

In his youth, he was known to be very pious and athletic, and loved theater. His mother died in 1929, then his older brother some time later. His father died of a heart attack in 1941. He participated in secret theater productions in order to keep Polish culture alive during World War II.

As a priest, he had a great love for theology and philosophy. After the fall of the Nazis, the Communists invaded Poland, for whom he was also problematic.

As pope, he upheld Church dogma on things like abortion, marriage, and sexual morality. He also helped bring about the downfall of the Soviet Union. On the other hand though, he traveled too much, approved some very bad appointments for bishops, and made the papacy into something of a celebrity.

End summary

Catholic or not, what is your opinion of him?