John Paul II Quotes

264th pope of the Catholic Church (1978–2005)

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John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was elected pope by the second papal conclave of 1978, which was called after John Paul I, who had been elected in August to succeed Pope Paul VI, died after 33 days. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected on the third day of the conclave and adopted the name of his predecessor in tribute to him. John Paul II is recognised as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and the rest of Europe (especially Eastern Europe).

Bio from: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pen Names: Andrzej Jawień • Stanisław Andrzej Gruda • Piotr Jasień

Native Name: Jan Paweł II

Alternative Names: Karol Wojtyła • Karol Wojtyla • Pope John Paul II • Saint John Paul II • Pope Saint John Paul II the Great • JPII • JP II • PP Ioannes Paulus II • Karol Józef Wojtyła

From Wikidata (CC0)

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Truth can never be confined to time and culture; in history it is known, but it also reaches beyond history.

to argue according to rigorous rational criteria is to guarantee that the results attained are universally valid.

Drodzy bracia i siostry Kaszubi! Strzeżcie tych wartości i tego dziedzictwa, które stanowią o Waszej tożsamości.

Friendship, as has been said, consists in a full commitment of the will to another person with a view to that person's good.

Let me go to the house of the Father.

Truth can prevail only in virtue of truth itself.

Only the chaste man and the chaste woman are capable of true love.

Yesterday, a funny thing happened to me on my way to the Conclave.

Those who love much succeed in overcoming their fear.

Humankind, which discovers its capacity to transform and in a certain sense create the world through its own work, forgets that this is always based on God's prior and original gift of things that are. People think that they can make arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it without restraint to their wills, as though the earth did not have its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which human beings can indeed develop but must not betray.

Later, when Eve is created, Adam understands — as soon as he lays eyes on her — that men and women are fundamentally alike, yet different in complementary ways. Before she even speaks a word, Eve’s body reveals all this and more. The body reveals the person. This phrase tells us all there is to know about the body. Science can examine our flesh in minute detail, down to our cells and even our DNA. But no amount of scientific exploration can replace the truth that our bodies reveal us, giving form to our innermost being and unique personality. Our bodies are sacramental — they make the invisible visible.

Remember that you are never alone, Christ is with you on your journey every day of your lives! He has called you and chosen you to live in the freedom of the children of God. Turn to him in prayer and in love. Ask him to grant you the courage and strength to live in this freedom always. Walk with him who is "the Way, the Truth and the Life"!

In truth, a State whose society is not sovereign is no sovereign State at all. Such is the case when a society has no chance to decide the common good, and when it has been denied the basic right to share in power and responsibility

It is unbecoming for a cardinal to ski badly.

I come without five lire. I want to leave without five lire.