Pope St. John Paul II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla, in the polish town of Wadowice, on May 18, 1920. He was the youngest of three children. His mother died when he was 9, his brother Edmund, when Karol was 12, and his father 9 years later. His sister Olga had died before Karol was born. 

After graduation, Karol enrolled in Jagiellonian University, and a school for drama. When the Nazis closed the university the following year, Karol had to work in a quarry and factories to earn a living. He became aware that God was calling him to be a priest, and started studying in the clandestine seminary of Krakow. 

Once World War II was over, he continued his studies, and was ordained on November 1, 1946. He went to Rome for a time, finishing a doctorate in theology with a thesis on the faith in the works of St. John of the Cross. From there, he returned to Poland, as vicar of several parishes, and chaplain to the university students there. 

He was made bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow in 1958, and in 1964, archbishop of Krakow. Pope St. Paul VI made him a cardinal in 1967. As Cardinal Wojtyla, he participated in the second Vatican Council, and the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. 

On Oct. 16, 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla was elected pope. He took the name of John Paul II, and on Oct. 22, he became the 263rd pope in the Church. His pontificate is one of the longest in Church history, lasting almost 27 years. 

John Paul II made 104 visits outside Italy, and 146 within Italy. He visited 317 of Rome’s 333 parishes. He held hundreds of meetings with leaders of nations, pilgrims, and faithful. He established World Youth Days as a way to connect with young people, and the 19 celebrated during his time as pope brought together millions of young Catholics around the world. 

He promoted spiritual renewal within the Church, through the Year of Redemption, the Marian Year, and the Year of the Eucharist. He proclaimed 1,338 blesseds and 51 saints, and made St. Therese of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church. His writings are many, and have informed Church teachings throughout his pontificate and into the present day.  

On April 2, 2005, John Paul II died. More than three million pilgrims came to Rome to pay homage to his remains, some waiting in line for 24 hours to enter the Basilica. 

On April 28, Pope Benedict XVI waived the five-year waiting period before beginning the cause for beatification, and Pope John Paul II was beatified on May 1, 2011. He was canonized on April 27, 2014, by Pope Francis. 

(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 10.21.2026).- On the evening of Wednesday, October 21, the Holy See Press Office issued a statement from Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora reporting, regarding the Pope’s postoperative progress, that “Today, the definitive results of the histological examinations and molecular biology tests performed on the tissue removed during the Holy Father’s surgery were released.”

According to the information provided, “The results have confirmed that it was a pulmonary adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized. A subsequent oncological evaluation has confirmed that no additional treatment is necessary.”

Therefore, it is confirmed that with the removal of a portion of the right lung on Tuesday, October 13, all of the cancer has been removed, and thus no additional therapy will be necessary.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Leo XIV is cancer-free and will not need chemotherapy or any other treatment appeared first on ZENIT - English.

President Donald Trump signed into law a measure that allows clergy — including Catholic priests and bishops — to opt back in to Social Security and Medicare if they had previously opted out of the program.

Under the tax code, clergy may opt out of Social Security and Medicare taxes for ministerial work but cannot receive the benefits if they do. A person who opts out typically cannot reverse that decision, but the law, supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), opens a two-year window for members of clergy to opt back in if they have changed their minds.

The law, signed on Oct. 20, allows clergy members to opt back in during the 2029 or 2030 tax years, but they must still meet the standard contribution requirements to receive benefits. The House of Representatives passed the bill 350-5 on April 27, and the Senate cleared it by unanimous consent on Sept. 30.

According to a news release from the House Ways and Means Committee, about 2,000 people take the opt-out. This is the third time Congress offered a temporary window for clergy to reverse their opt-outs, with the last time being 1999.

“America’s pastors and faith leaders spend their lives caring for others,” Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement.

“Many chose to opt out of Social Security when they were young and just starting their ministry,” he said. “A single, sometimes ill-advised, decision made decades ago should not stand between them and a secure retirement.”

Support from Catholic bishops

When reached for comment, the USCCB referred EWTN News to an April 14 letter supportive of the bill, signed by Archbishop Shelton Fabre, chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Ronald Hicks, chair of the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.

The letter states that the bill offers “much needed relief and support for priests and religious who previously opted out of Social Security and Medicare to opt back into the programs.”

“For one reason or another, many clergy members, often decades prior and due to inaccurate financial advice, opted out of contributing,” the letter states.

It adds that the bill helps clergy “move toward a more complete retirement” and offers a “more comprehensive financial and physical wellbeing as they transition into the next phase of their lives and ministries.”

“Priests and religious have spent their lives in service to Christ by ministering to the faithful and those in need,” the letter adds. “[The legislation helps] enable them to obtain better financial and physical health in their retirement.”

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) — The people gathered for a dinner in Indianapolis Oct. 20 erupted into cheers and applause when Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, made the announcement: “I’m privileged to announce that in 2029, the 11th National Eucharistic Congress is going to be back here in Indianapolis.”

The dinner at the Omni Severin Hotel followed a Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis. Concelebrating were Bishop Cozzens and Bishop Timothy L. Doherty of Lafayette, Indiana, with Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson as principal celebrant.

“As we look toward the 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2029, we do well to keep before us the continued outpouring of graces and blessings stemming from the National Eucharistic Revival that continues to bear fruit throughout the Church, local and universal,” Archbishop Thompson said in his homily.

Before announcing the location of the 2029 congress at the dinner, Bishop Cozzens, board chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., spoke of the impact of the 10th congress, held in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024.

Stories on how 2024 congress impacted people abound

“Everywhere I go now, people tell me stories about how the congress impacted them,” he said. “I really want to say thank you to the people of Indianapolis and to your role in that.”

A press release announcing the 2029 congress identified specific impacts of the 2024 gathering, including “renewed participation” in Eucharistic adoration and confession, “greater reverence at Mass, increased confidence among clergy in preaching about the Real Presence, and growth in parish evangelization and service.”

The congress also has resulted in new adoration chapels opening, local Eucharistic initiatives flourishing, seminarian enrollment growing, new religious vocations and increasing numbers of people entering the Church, the release said.

To “really have an impact on the country,” Bishop Cozzens said the plan is to hold a National Eucharistic Congress every four years in various cities around the country.

In deciding where to hold the 2029 congress, several aspects were considered, he said. Among them were centrality, facilities, accessibility, hospitality and a proven ability to host national events.

Indianapolis ‘just came out on top again’

“We looked at several potential hosts … but Indianapolis just came out on top again,” said Bishop Cozzens.

Of particular note was the “Hoosier hospitality here in Indianapolis and the way that you all welcomed the whole country here” in 2024, he said.

He also noted that returning to the city for the 2029 congress “really helps us to build on what we’ve done already. And it helps us in that way to do something that’s both bigger and better. … We expect it to be an event that will affect a generation of Catholics.”

Archbishop Thompson also shared his thoughts that evening on Indianapolis hosting the 2029 congress.

“We are grateful, we are honored to celebrate, to serve and to be the host,” he said after thanking Bishop Cozzens and the National Eucharistic Congress Inc. team “for all the great work that you do.”

Several speakers at the event noted the impact of the last congress, an impact Archbishop Thompson connected to the closing words of every Mass: “Go forth.”

Every baptized person has ‘co-responsibility’ in Church’s mission

He spoke of the “co-responsibility” of “every baptized person to take their role in that mission,” noting that the National Eucharistic Congress must “always be connected to service” and “has to be connected always with the larger Church.”

Archbishop Cozzens called the 2029 congress a “launching point” for two “great anniversaries for the Church.”

First is the 500th anniversary of the 1531 apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.

“Because of the 9 million people who converted to the Catholic faith in the decade after she appeared, “she’s been declared the patroness of the new evangelization in our country,” he said. 

“It’s part of why we chose the rose as the logo (for the next congress) with the Eucharist there at the center, because we want the congress actually to be a moment for us to devote to Mary and to teach us how to love the Eucharist,” said Bishop Cozzens.

Next major anniversary for the Church is 2033

He called the next major anniversary for the Church in 2033 “the great jubilee of our redemption,” when Christ was crucified and when the Church came into being at Pentecost.

“So, we want to help prepare the country for these two moments,” said Bishop Cozzens. “In 2029, you can think of it as a launching point for what we hope will have a great impact on the evangelization of the world.”

Seminarian Antonio Harbert is “really stoked” for that moment. The member of St. Joseph Parish in Shelbyville is a senior at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis.

He is a witness to the increase in seminarians noted in the press release.

The college seminary, which accepts men from the archdiocese and four other dioceses, had 18 new seminarians enroll this fall. Last year, there were 20 seminarians total at Bishop Simon Bruté.

“We’ve almost doubled in seminarians from last year to this,” Halbert told The Criterion, the archdiocesan newspaper. “I would say that fruit comes from the Eucharistic Congress.”

Hosting the 11th National Eucharistic Congress will take effort, Archbishop Thompson noted.

“Whether it’s time, talent or treasure, it takes a lot of people to make this happen,” he said, but he is “eager” to start the process.

The planning process is just beginning, with information such as specific dates, event speakers and more to come later.

Natalie Hoefer is a reporter at The Criterion, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. This story was first published in The Criterion and distributed in partnership with OSV News.

The post Archbishop ‘grateful, honored’ Indianapolis chosen to host 2029 National Eucharistic Congress first appeared on OSV News.

On Monday, Oct. 19, the image of the Lord of the Miracles entered the Courtyard of Honor at the Government Palace of Peru, where it was received by President Keiko Fujimori and her ministers.

The original image was painted by a slave on an adobe wall around 1651 and survived the massive earthquake of 1655, which was considered miraculous given the scale of destruction. Subsequently, other miracles were associated with the image.

The last time the Cristo Moreno (Dark-skinned Christ) was welcomed at the seat of the Peruvian executive branch was in 1986, during the first administration of the late former president Alan García.

The image’s arrival was accompanied by honors from the presidential guard. Members of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles were responsible for carrying the processional platform into the headquarters of the executive branch.

During the event, Fujimori paused before the imposing image, made the sign of the cross, touched the processional platform with her right hand, and prayed for a brief moment. Her ministers followed suit, making the same sign of respect and devotion.

Subsequently, the officials placed floral arrangements featuring the colors of the Peruvian flag at the feet of the sacred image. Fujimori also presented candles, a national coat of arms, and white flowers in homage to the Christ of Pachacamilla, another name for the image.

The Lord of Miracles makes its way through the streets of Lima

Once the acts of homage concluded, the Lord of the Miracles image was processed through the streets of Lima, accompanied by thousands of devotees. As it passed, a display of fireworks resounded in the sky.

Throughout the procession, the faithful accompanied the processional platforms along various streets in the historic center of Lima. The procession also entered the Dos de Mayo National Hospital, where patients, staff, and devotees were able to approach the image.

This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.