Pope's are elected by a conclave of cardinals voting for a candidate. Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was chosen on October 16, 1978. He took the name John Paul II.

Just a quick addition: He was elected after the 33 day papacy of Pope John Paul I who died suddenly in his sleep due to complications of an undiagnosed heart condition (it's considered by some that John Paul I died from a heart attack). 1978 is sometimes referred as the "Year of 3 Popes" because Pope Paul VI (elected in 1963) led the Church until his death in the summer, than the first conclave elected Cardinal Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I, followed by the second conclave in October elected Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II who closed out the year and reigned until 2005.

On the coat of arms of John Paul II is the letter M, symbolizing the Virgin Mary. For an image of the seal click here.

She died in childbirth in 1929.

The tradition of the popes wearing red shoes were carried over from the customs of ancient Rome itself. In fact, by the time of the Byzantine Empire only three people are allowed to officially wear red shoes in the empire: the Emperor, the Empress, and the Pope. Even in art, depictions of people wearing red shoes are severely restricted to the above-mentioned or the angels.

During ancient times, the manner and style of dress signified and symbolized rank, heritage, group or cultural affiliations, status, also of privilege. This was more true then than it is now. The manner and style of a person identifies him. For example, during the Yuan dynasty, only the Khan can wear green under pain of death. And during the Ching/Manchu dynasty only the Emperor can wear the Imperial yellow.

The toga, for example, was exclusively worn only by Roman citizens. The toga praetexta, furthermore, can only be worn by magistrates as this was a symbol of his office and rank. The republican senators wore red shoes, as did the Roman patricians. This custom was carried over from even before the Roman Empire, and before the Roman Republic tracing it back to the Kingdom of Rome. Thus this manner and custom of privilege of footwear is very ancient.

By the time of the Edict of Milan in 313 under Constantine the Great, Christianity was finally tolerated and the status of the Church enhanced throughout the Roman Empire. It was around this time that the bishops received the privilege of wearing the purple - a privilege still seen today. It was around this time after the toleration of Christianity and the transfer and donation of the imperial Lateran palace and Lateran basilica to the Bishop of Rome, (Pope Miltiades) and to the Church that privileges of imperial rank and imperial status are crystallized in the manner of footwear. Thus this privilege of red shoes can be (circumstantially, since firsthand written historical or archeological evidence have since been lost or destroyed by successive waves of barbarian pillage and destruction and looting during wars) traced at this point. The ancient Roman custom has now become Christian.

When the capital was transfered to Constantinople in 330, by political necessity the then suffragan bishopric of Byzantium was raised to an archbishopric. It was around this time that aspirations to greater status by the Archbishop of Constantinople becomes evident. Although only Rome, Antioch and Alexandria were patriarchates, by 381 a canon was inserted (and refused by the Popes) to establish the Archbishop of Constantinople as Patriarch. Political vicissitudes under the patronage of the Emperor, notably after 451 would later impress the status quo we have today by creating the Patriarchates of Constantinople and of Jerusalem. It was only after the Council of Florence in the 15th century that the Roman Church accepted the status quo of the Pentarchy. Although the Patriarchs of Constantinople have a history of trying to usurp authority and privilege during the Byzantine Empire, nevertheless, the ancient Roman privilege of red shoes were never extended nor granted to the Patriarch of Constantinople or anybody else in the Empire - a fact that remains to this day in life and iconography.

There has never been a pope named John Paul VI.

He was the youngest of three children of Karol Wojtyłaand Emilia Kaczorowska.His elder sister Olga had died before his birth, but he was close to his brother Edmund, nicknamed Mundek, who was 13 years his senior. Edmund's work as a physician eventually led to his death from scarlet fever. (WIKIpedia)

Pope John Paul II added to the rosary the Luminous mysteries. These mysteries recall the life of Jesus before the Passion. They are prayed on Thursdays and any day especially devoted to recalling one of them. They are 1. the Baptism in the Jordan 2. The wedding feast at Cana 3. The proclamation of the kingdom 4. the Transfiguration and 5. the Institution of the Eucharist.

He took down the British in the ship Providence

According to Paul's account in the Epistle to the Galatians, he travelled first to Arabia, then Damascus (bypassing Jerusalem), Jerusalem, then Syria and Cilicia, and back to Jerusalem. He must have travelled extensively in Asia Minor and Greece, as well as Rome. Acts of the Apostles also has him visit Caesaria, Tarsus, Antioch, Cyprus and Caesaria.

John Paul II underwent intense scrutiny with the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints to determine if he was, indeed, in Heaven before he could be canonized. It is highly unlikely that he would be in hell.

At the age of 14 all boys in Nazi Germany were automatically enrolled in the Hitler Youth group which meant that young Ratzinger was a member. However, he never attended meetings. Later he was drafted into the army and was assigned to the anti aircraft group. He deserted his post and returned home.

Pope John Paul II had no illegitimate children.

Pope John Paul's real name is Karol Józef Wojtyła, he was born in Poland in the year 1920.
Pope John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla.

John Paul II was born and raised in Poland.

The first pope, St. Peter, one of the original apostles of Jesus Christ, was executed at Rome under Nero. The aprocryphal gospel of St. Peter declares that Peter was crucified upside down. Many of the early Church fathers support this account of Peter being martyred at Rome.

Peter is considered the first pope even though the term 'pope' did not come into common usage until much later. Whether Peter was in Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome or elsewhere, he is still considered the first pope. Later, as the Church grew and a hierarchy developed. the Church established its headquarters in Rome as Rome was considered the center of the world at the time. It had good roads reaching out to the vast empire as well as ships that plied the Mediterranean. Missionaries could reach anywhere in the known world from Rome. As the pope was the highest ranking Church authority in Rome, he was automatically consider the Bishop of Rome. From 1309 until 1377 popes reigned from Avignon in France. No matter, the pope was still the pope. Once the situation was resolved, the papacy returned to Rome and the pope again resumed his position as the Bishop of Rome along with his title of Pope. Even today, should Pope Francis make the unlikely decision to move the Church headquarters to, say, Buenos Aires, Argentina, he would still be Pope and the assigned Bishop of Rome would simply be the Bishop of Rome. The Pope would be the Bishop of Buenos Aires as well as pope of the Universal Church. The Church has ample evidence that Peter did rule from Rome at some time. But even if he had never stepped foot in the city, he was still the Pope. Being Bishop of Rome is not a prerequisite for the papacy. By default, if the pope is headquartered in Rome, he is also the bishop of that diocese.

Well, why wouldn't he be? He is the head of ALL the Catholic Churches in the world.

He was shot in Saint Peter's square in Vatican City.

Blessed John Paul the 2 was shot in the abdomen.

Depending on who you ask, his eyes are blue, green, grey, brown, hazel or amber.

He forgave Mehmet Ali AÄŸca who was the young Turkish man who shot John Paul during an assassination attempt in 1981.