Resumo de Universal Father: A Life Of Pope John Paul Ii

Pope John Paul II has become a legend in the 20th century for his moral leadership and resolute resistance to the Soviet Union, liberation of his homeland, Poland,opposition to war, and opening the papacy to the common people. Much of what he has been already written andknown. What then has this new biography has to offer to the reader? The author concerns himself to the inner man of the Pope. Author believes that Inner man is really the man. Discover the inner man then we shall know the man. The author takes the reader for a pilgrimage through the life and spirit of John Paul II.

Bornin 1920, John Paul II's life was irreplaceably infulenced by the years of his youth. He was brought up in a deeply and traditionally religious family and society. During these youthful years, he experienced tragic losss and intense love. He lost his mother at the age of eight, when twelve helost his elder brother, a doctor who died of scarlet fever, and at twenty his father died. It was during those years he also experienced the pangs oand anguish of his countrymen enslaved first by the Nazi invasion andlater by the Sovient Union. He himsed had to labour under the yoke of foreign occupation. All these experienced did not ferment hatred, but steered to a life-long quest to understand good and evil in human heart, and formed the values of human dignity, freedom, love etc.

The author analyses John Paul II's poems, plays and essays both religious and philosophical. These are not autobiographical. However, confronted with life-negating circumstances of his life, his literary works manifested his quests, pangs and loves. His plays like Job show the angusih of young John Paul II about the historical tragedy of invasion of Poland and the subjugation of its people and their spirit. John Paul II does not take up arms, like many young men of his age. He knew the futility of fighting the ruthless powers. He had to wait years to win a spiritual battle in Poland.

In 1944, after a fateful accident, he decided to become a Catholic priest, and began his studyin secret. Two years later, on 1 November, he was ordained a priest. From then on he had no turning back. He ws consecrated a bishop, cardinal and finally Pope in 1978. All though these years until his death in 2005, he remained ever faithful to his inner person.

The author also sifts through criticism from feminists, and anti-papal groups on the question of abortion, homo-sexuality, women's ordination, artificial contraception, and other moral questions. Amist the medly of citicism, the author takes pain to stand focussed on the inner man that inspired John Paul to stand unflinchingly on the traditional doctrines of Catholicism. The validity or invalidy of these critical issues is not the author's area of scrutiny. Heis not writing a treatise on the moral and religious teaching of John Paul II, bt his concern is draw a living portrait, vivid and and accessible. His he has well succeeded. The author has not attempted to take sides over the big issues, but follows the John Paul's own vision of what it means to be human.

The Author has successfully brought together immense amount of material on John Paul's younger years, European history of the late 19th and 20th centuries, the assasination attempts on him, his literary contribution, his travels etc. But then, the author has not touched the issues and responses of the Pope concerning his journies to developing countries, influence of his teachings on them , his response to Jewish question etc. Apart from this negative shade, the work stands as a moving testimony of a person who is now universally considered one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.

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