Pope Saint John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus II; Italian: John Paul II; Polish: Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła;[a] Polish: [ˈkarɔl ˈjuzɛv vɔjˈtɨwa];[b] 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was Pope of the Catholic Church and ruler of Vatican City from 1978 to 2005. He is called Saint John Paul the Great by some Catholics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay He was elected by the second papal conclave of 1978, which was named after Pope John Paul I, elected in August to succeed Pope Paul VI, died after thirty-three days. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected on the third day of the conclave and adopted his predecessor's name in his honor. John Paul II is recognized as helping to end communist rule in his native Poland and ultimately throughout Europe. John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He supported the Church's teachings on issues such as artificial contraception and the ordination of women, but he also supported the Second Vatican Council and its reforms. He was one of the most traveled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to sainthood, he beatified 1,340 people and canonized 483 saints, more than the combined count of his predecessors during the previous five centuries. By the time of his death, he had appointed most of the College of Cardinals, consecrated or co-consecrated a large number of the world's bishops, and ordained many priests. One of the key objectives of John Paul II's papacy was to transform and reposition the Catholic Church. His desire was "to place his Church at the center of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and Christians in a great religious army." John Paul II was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX, who served for nearly 32 years from 1846 to 1878. Born in Poland, John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since Dutch Pope Adrian VI , who served from 1522 to 1523. John Paul II's cause for canonization began in 2005, a month after his death, with the renunciation of the traditional period five year waiting period. On 19 December 2009 John Paul II was proclaimed Venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI and was beatified on 1 May 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed a miracle to his intercession, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson's disease. A second miracle attributed to the intercession of John Paul II was approved on 2 July 2013 and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later (two miracles must be attributed to the intercession of a person to be declared saints). John Paul II was canonized on April 27, 2014 (Divine Mercy Sunday again), together with Pope John XXIII. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay On September 11, 2014, Pope Francis added the optional commemorative feast of John Paul II to the global General Roman Calendar of Saints, in response to requests from around the world. It is tradition to celebrate the feast of the saints on the anniversary of their death, but that of John Paul II (22 October) is celebrated on the anniversary of his papal installation.