João Paulo II

: síntese de um pontificado

Abstract

The third longest Pontificate in the History of the Church, over 26 years, more than two and a half decades that revolutionized contemporary society in the fields of politics, society, and humanitarianism is John Paul's II. In fact, Saint John Paul II put into practice the expression of Paul VI: a civilization of love. His role in the fight against communism, in the defense of the family, in stimulating interreligious dialogue and in promoting peace led him to be affectionately known as a “pilgrim of love”, per his constant papal visits. In the 104 countries
he visited, the Polish pope repeated the gesture that became a symbol of his presence, kissing the floor of each new place he visited soon after getting off the plane.
With the motto “Totus tuus”, “all yours”, he declared his love and total devotion to the Virgin Mary, specifically to Our Lady of Częstochowa, patroness of Poland. And it was to the Virgin Mary that the Pope attributed his having survived the May 13, 1981, attack.
John Paul II created the World Youth Days, wrote 14 encyclicals, organized 15
assemblies of the Synod of Bishops, appointed 231 cardinals, beatified 1338 people and canonized 482 saints. But he went beyond words and demonstrated his holiness, even in moments of pain. In the last years of his life, he fought valiantly against Parkinson disease. He entered eternity on April 2, 2005. His funeral brought together millions of faithful in Rome and more than 200 government representatives. If read and explained in the light of love, its legacy
remains alive and well; and his invitation made in the homily at the beginning of his pontificate continues to echo: “Do not be afraid! Open, rather, open wide the doors to Christ!”.

Date of Award	10 Mar 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	José Paulo Leite de Abreu (Supervisor)