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Born in Poland on May 18, 1920, Karol Josef Wojtyla was the second son of a retired army officer and Emilia Kaczorowska, a schoolteacher of Lithuanian descent. An excellent student, he was also a talented athlete who loved physically demanding sports.
Recognition of his abilities came early on. Karol was 18 when his school was visited by the Archbishop of Cracow and, as its prize orator, the talented youngster was chosen to deliver a welcome speech. Impressed, the Archbishop enquired what he intended to do with his life.
The answer was the pursuit of philology - or acting. "A pity," responded the visiting prelate, referring to Karol's thespian aspirations. Little could the Archbishop have imagined the hand fate would play in the life of the teenager destined to become Pope John Paul II.
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