Krakow is John Paul's city. He was a bishop here when he became the pope in 1978. John Paul II born Karol Józef Wojtyła (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as the 263rd Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death, almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate after Pius IX's 32-year reign. He has been the only Polish pope, and was the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Adrian VI in the 1520s. John Paul II was Pope during a period in which the Catholic Church's influence declined in developed countries but expanded in the Third World. During his reign, the pope travelled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any of his predecessors. He remains one of the most-travelled world leaders in history. He was fluent in numerous languages: his native Polish and also Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he canonized a great number of people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II)