Pope John Paul II: Biography, History, and Policies of the Pope

Pope John Paul II: Short Biography of the Roman Catholic Pope
John Paul II is the second pope to ever choose two names, following his predecessor. The reason for doing this was to both honor John Paul I and to indicate that he would not be making any major policy shifts. Wojtyla was also the first non-Italian to be chosen for this office in over 400 years (the previous was Hadrian VI in 1563, a Dutchman), and reports indicate that the election of a non-Italian pope may have been pushed by the growing influence of Catholics from outside of Europe.

Pope John Paul II, Parkinson’s Disease, and Paranoia: What Happens if the Pope Becomes Psychotic?
Everyone knows that Pope John Paul II suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. It not only causes him to shake uncontrollably, but it has also caused him to come close to death more than once. Among the many symptoms of Parkinson’s, however, are paranoia and depression. Most people are unaware of these, but their impact on a pope cannot go overlooked

Pope John Paul II and the Iraq War: Promoting Peace in a Bellicose World
The most public and serious condemnations of the invasion of Iraq came from Pope John Paul II and other top officials at the Vatican. Catholic leaders did as much as they could to dissuade Britain and America from their bellicose course of action, but to no avail. Conservative Catholics in America did as much as they could to convince the Vatican that the invasion was not only morally licit, but also a very good idea. They, too, failed.

Pope John Paul II, Secularization, Democracy, Religious Pluralism: Catholcism vs. Liberty
Europe has become an increasingly secularized continent. Religion and church don’t play nearly the same political, social, or familial roles that they used to and this has had a profound influence on the state of European culture today. This has not sat well with Pope John Paul II and he has worked hard to find ways to reverse the trend, though not with much success.

Pope John Paul II, Women, Feminism: What Role for Women in the Catholic Church?
The most significant sources of conflict within the Catholic Church today revolve around the role and status of women. Should women be allowed to become priests? Must women be prevented from using artificial means of birth control? Are women equal to men in all things? Although church leaders have long employed the language of equality and liberty, they have also spoken as well as acted in ways that encourage a second-class status for female Catholics.

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Pope John Paul II on Contraception and Abortion: Sexual Ethics and Catholic Doctrines
It is arguable that one of the most consistent themes running throughout John Paul II's papacy has been his concern with sexual morality: contraception, abortion, divorce, homosexuality, and all of the things that make up what he regularly refers to as the 'culture of death.' These he sees as the cultural consequences of modernity and against which he wishes to direct much of the church’s energy.

Pope John Paul II and Homosexuality: Do Gays Have a Place in the Catholic Church?
Official Catholic doctrine describes homosexuality as a 'disorder' even though the Catchecism also insists that gays 'must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.' What is the reason for this duality? According to Catholic doctrine, sexual activity only exists for the purpose of procreation, and obviously homosexual activity cannot produce children. Therefore, homosexual acts are contrary to nature and God's wishes and must be a sin.

Pope John Paul II and the Sexual Abuse Crisis: Priests Abusing Children & Silence in the Vatican
Scandals involving priests who have sexually abused children have been a source of many problems for the Roman Catholic Church. Arguably worse than the sexual abuse, however, are the cover-ups and conspiracies of silence that have been found in the highest reaches of the Catholic hierarchy.

Pope John Paul II, Communism, and Freedom of Conscience: Balancing Faith and Repression
Perhaps one of the most significant and memorable features of John Paul II’s papacy was his battle against 'godless' communism. It is likely that he will be known forever as the pope who helped bring about the fall of communism. Much of his life as a cleric was lived under communist rule in Poland and all the time he rose through the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy, he refused to compromise or accommodate demands made by the communist government.

Pope John Paul II, Capitalism, and Liberation Theology: Economic Justice vs. the Free Market in the West
Most observers are familiar with John Paul II's attacks on communism, but fewer are familiar with the extent to which he has criticized capitalism. Americans seem to assume that capitalism and Christianity go hand-in-hand, but Catholic social teachings have tended towards more socialist ways of doing things because of the way in which they achieve social and economic justice.

Pope John Paul II, Darwin, and Evolution: Catholic Opinions on Evolutionary Origins
In America one is accustomed to seeing religious figures condemn evolutionary theory and argue that teaching evolution is incompatible with Christianity. Catholicism, however, not only doesn’t reject evolution but in fact has supported evolutionary theory for quite some time. This continues to surprise people because it’s simply not reported in the news very often.

Pope John Paul II, Catholicism, and the Jews: Combatting the Legacy of Christian Antisemitism
The Catholic Church has long had a difficult, even violent, relationship with Judaism. It’s been normal for Jews to be treated as second-class citizens and the Vatican even pioneered the practice of forcing Jews to wear distinguishing symbols to mark them off from the rest of society, something taken to far more deadly lengths under the Nazis. Pope John Paul II has attempted to repair the damage, but as has been characteristic of so many issues during his reign he has been sending mixed signals.

Bibliography: Sources for Articles on Pope John Paul II
Major sources used in the various articles on Pope John Paul II.