The life of the Roman Catholic pontiff who influenced both his church and the history of the 20th century. Polish-born Karol Wojtyla ascended to the papacy in 1978, and began a vigorous effort to reaffirm the conservative teachings in his church and to reach out to the faithful in every corner of the globe, as well as those of other religions. Peggy Noonan focuses on John Paul II's character in this admiring biography. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.