The Life & Times Of Pope John Paul II

The Holy Father

He is disputably the most famous person in the world, and has been seen in person by more human beings than anyone else in history. Pope John Paul II is the spiritual leader of one billion Roman Catholics.

This revealing three part documentary begins with a look at the life of Karol Wojtyla in Poland before he became Pope, describing his early years, which included the tragic deaths of his mother, brother, and father. His fellow seminarian Mieczyslaw Malinski speaks about the Nazi occupation of Poland, and the secret seminary where they studied.

Following his ordination in 1946, Fr. Wojtyla rose steadily through the ranks of the Church as he continued his ministry in Poland, his theological studies and teaching, and authored several highly respected publications. His Papacy has brought many controversial changes to the Church. His central teachings on the matters of sex, contraception, divorce, homosexuality and abortion have been widely debated, and largely ignored by the vast majority of his flock.

Interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger, and others provide a behind the scenes look at the Pope's crucial role in the power politics that led to the fall of Communism in 1989. Through the 1980s, John Paul II participated in what former U.S. National Security Advisor Richard Allen calls "the greatest secret alliance in history" between the Vatican and the Reagan Administration.