The Life of John Paul II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Karol Wojtyla

Jan Pawel means "John Paul" in Polish. The correct answer was, of course, Karol Wojtyla. Joseph Ratzinger was the name of Pope Benedict XVI. Adam Sapienha was one of John Paul's mentors.

Karol Wojtyla (1920-2005) in his youth was a deep lover of association football (soccer) and amateur dramatics. His mother Emilia died when he was only eight.

Answer: He entered the seminary

John Paul II was in the seminary from 1942 through the rest of the war. By the time he joined the seminary in 1942, he had already been predeceased by his mother, father, and brother. A conversation with Cardinal Sapienha of Krakow helped convince hem to enter the seminary.

Another sibling died before he was born. He was formally ordained a priest on November 1, 1946. During his time in the seminary, he is credited with helping to protect many of the Jews of Poland.

Answer: 263

Pope John Paul II was the 264th pope, and Benedict XVI was the 265th pope according to this count. John Paul II was also the first non-Italian pope since the sixteenth century, and the very first Polish pope. (The reason for making this quiz!). The office of the Papacy goes back to St. Peter and the first century AD.

His period as pope (1978-2005) was one of the longest in history. (Due to the uncertainty of early records and competing claims of Antipopes, there is some contention about this numbering.)

Answer: Totally Yours

Pope John Paul II took his motto from a Marian consecrating prayer, originally penned by Saint Louis de Montfort. The phrase expressed John Paul's personal devotion to Mary. The words "Totus Tuus" were also included near the beginning of his will. The phrase is a long-standing expression used in letters composed in Latin.

Answer: 3

All three exorcisms were performed on women. They were performed in 1982, 2000, and 2001. For those of you who are out of the loop, an exorcism is the banishment of an evil spirit from a body. John Paul also led the Catholic Church's updating of the Rite of Exorcism in 1998 (the first updating since the seventeenth century.)

Answer: no

It is known that Wojtyla was an eager chess player, but he never devised his own problem. There was at one point a belief concerning this, but it was proved to be a hoax. John Paul was one of several popes who were fans of chess (including Leo XIII and Gregory VI). In 1999, the World Chess Federation honored him with the honorary title "Grand Commander of the Legion of Grandmasters".

Answer: yes

The list of titles associated with the papacy is extensive. Others include Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of Saint Peter, and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. He has the titles for various reasons. "Bishop of Rome" refers to being head of that Archdiocese. "Vicar of Jesus Christ" comes from being seen as the direct representative of Christ on Earth.

Answer: 58

At 58, Pope John Paul II was one of the youngest popes in history. Being elected when he was younger aided him in part to have such a long reign (nearly 27 years).

Answer: Mehmet Ali Agca

John Paul II survived the assassination attempt, he said, because of the "protection of Our Lady of Fatima." The gunman was caught and sentenced to life-imprisonment. The Pope came to visit him in jail, and Mehmet Ali Ağca felt remorse, for which John Paul forgave him.

Answer: Solidarity

Solidarity, 'Solidarnooeæ' in Polish, was a Polish trade union. Their goal, which was eventually accomplished, was to bring down the Iron Curtain and annihilate Communism in Eastern Europe. It was a broad cross-trade organization. A popular organization, it numbered approximately ten million in 1981.