The Life of Pope John Paul II

As the papacy of the late John Paul II drew to a close, NBC News mined its extensive archive to present the history and legacy of this remarkable spiritual pilgrim. The youngest Pope in 100 years, the first non-Italian Pope since the 1500s, and the first Polish Pope ever, John Paul was the people's Pope, a man who craved human contact and visited over 100 countries during his reign. Sadly, this closeness almost cost him his life in 1981, when he was seriously wounded by a would-be assassin in a shooting in Vatican square. The Life of Pope John Paul II pays tribute to the man born Karol Wojtyla, who lost his father, mother, and older brother, all before he reached the age of 21. Pious and devout, young Karol was a former actor and factory worker before becoming a young priest who faced down the tyranny of Nazi and later Soviet occupiers, while also serving as an important spokesman for human rights in Poland's Catholic Church. Although John Paul opposed war and social injustice, he was equally adamant in his support for conservative church positions opposing birth control, abortion, gay marriage, and women in the priesthood. Covering the Pope's numerous pilgrimages, his role in initiating Jewish-Christian dialogue, and his age related illnesses and disabilities (which only seemed to have deepened his empathy for the world's suffering), this documentary--released before John Paul's death--has the somewhat melancholy tone of a posthumous honorific, and it offers an excellent retrospective look at a towering champion of religious and human rights. DVD extras include additional scenes of John Paul's visits overseas, a segment on the restoration of the Sistine Chapel, and a personal reflection on John Paul's legacy by veteran former Vatican correspondent Keith Miller. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)