St. John Paul II

An Apostle of Peace Who Pilgrimaged the World

St. John Paul II (born Karol Wojtyła) was born in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. Through the pain of losing his mother, brother, and father one after another, he nurtured a deep faith. During the Nazi occupation, he worked in a quarry and a chemical plant while secretly studying for the priesthood in an underground seminary. After being ordained a priest in 1946, he walked the path of pastor and theologian, becoming Poland's youngest bishop at age 38.

Elected pope in 1978, he became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and gave great courage to the faithful of Eastern Europe under communist regimes. During his 26-year pontificate, he visited 129 countries proclaiming the Gospel of peace and life, and in 1984 he founded World Youth Day, opening the door to a youth faith movement that continues to this day. He visited Korea twice and presided over the canonization of St. Andrew Kim Taegon and the 103 Korean martyrs at Yeouido.

In his later years, despite the suffering of Parkinson's disease, he never ceased his public ministry, bearing witness with his very body to a life that shared in Christ's Passion through suffering. He taught young people about love, purity, human dignity, and a Christ-centered life, showing through his own life that true happiness is found in self-giving love.

The Pope Who Founded World Youth Day

For the 1984 Jubilee and the 1985 International Year of Youth, the pope invited young people from around the world to St. Peter's Square, and in December 1985 he officially announced the founding of World Youth Day. Accordingly, from 1986 onward, Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion was celebrated each year as "World Youth Day" with a papal message, and an international World Youth Day — where young people from around the world gather in one place — began to be held every few years, moving from continent to continent. Throughout his pontificate, the pope personally attended the international gatherings, walking with young people as their friend and teacher.

The legacy of faith and love that St. John Paul II left to young people continues once again in Seoul in August 2027.

I am happy. May you also be happy