Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus II; Polish: Jan Paweł II; Italian: Giovanni Paolo II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005.

In his youth, Wojtyła engaged in stage acting and graduated with excellent grades from an all-boys high school in Wadowice, Poland, in 1938. During World War II, to avoid being kidnapped for forced labor, he worked under harsh conditions in a quarry. Wojtyła developed a love for acting and participated in local theatre. He initially wanted to study Polish at university, but chose theology to become a priest, encouraged by a conversation with Adam Stefan Sapieha. He eventually rose to the position of Archbishop of Kraków and then a cardinal.

Wojtyła was elected pope in 1978, becoming one of the youngest popes in history. John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century and the third-longest-serving pope. He worked to improve the Catholic Church's relations with other religions and maintained conservative positions on various issues. John Paul II emphasized family, identity, and questioned consumerism and hedonism.

He traveled extensively, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate, beatified 1,344 people, and canonized 483 saints. John Paul II was credited with helping end communist rule in Poland and Europe. He was proclaimed venerable by his successor, Benedict XVI, in 2009, beatified in 2011, and canonized in 2014. He is sometimes referred to as Pope St. John Paul the Great.