Pope John Paul IIJohn Paul II, Pope /ˌdʒɒn pɔːl ðə ˈsekənd $ ˌdʒɑːn-/ (1920–2005) a Polish priest, who became the first Polish Pope (=the leader of the Roman Catholic religion) in 1978. He travelled more than any pope before, visiting countries all over the world. He often spoke about his opposition to birth control and to the idea of women becoming priests. His birth name was Karol Józef Wojtyła.