John Paul II (1920- ), pope (1978- ), the first non-Italian pope since 1523, whose energetic approach to his office, unprecedented world travel, and firm religious conservatism have enhanced the influence of the papacy in both the Roman Catholic Church and the non-Catholic world. Born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920 , in Wadowice , Poland , he studied poetry and drama at Jagiellonian University . During World War II (1939-1945) he worked in a stone quarry and in a chemical factory while preparing for the priesthood. Ordained in 1946, he earned a Ph.D. degree at Rome 's Angelicum Institute and a doctorate in theology at the Catholic University of Lublin. In the 1980s and 1990s John Paul II made numerous journeys, including visits to Africa , Asia , and the Americas ; in September 1993 he traveled to the Baltic republics in what was the first papal visit to countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). He influenced the restoration of democracy and religious freedom throughout Eastern Europe , especially in his native Poland . Dealing forcefully with dissent within the church, he reaffirmed Roman Catholic teachings against homosexuality, abortion, and “artificial” methods of human reproduction and birth control, and in favor of priestly celibacy.

Less than eight months after his 1978 inauguration, Karol Wojtyla returned to Poland as Pope John Paul II for nine cathartic days.Huge, adoring crowds met him wherever he went and were an acute source of embarrassment to the communist government. Officially, the country was atheistic; it was also suffering from food shortages. The pope added to the authorities' discomfort by reminding his fellow Poles of their human rights. "His secretary told me that was the great moment," says Robert Moynihan, editor and publisher of the magazine Inside the Vatican. "There was a crowd of one million people, and he told them 'You are men. You have dignity. Don't crawl on your bellies.' It was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union ."

When the pope visited Cuba in January 1998, hard-line Cuban leader Fidel Castro set aside his drab olive fatigues and put on a business suit to welcome him. Castro also attended a number of functions for the pope and escorted the frail Holy Father with almost touching deference.

"His great hope is to awaken the entire world to the dignity and responsibility of defending human rights," Cardinal Roger Etchegaray told the Washington Post.

But the pope hasn't played favorites, and the West has come in for its share of criticism, too. During that first triumphal visit to the United States , he warned his hosts about the dangers of materialism, selfishness and secularism, and suggested lowering the standard of living and sharing the wealth with the Third World .

Mircea gheoana, president of OSCE, at Haga on the 26 of June expressed his opinion about religion and the human rights :

“The Universal Declaration of Human rights recognizes that the liberty to practice and profess one's religious beliefs is fundamental to every human being. Religion and faith are reflections of one's conscience and thought process. They are the medium of externalizing these thoughts; they are the bonds that bring people of the same beliefs together; and they are the reason to worship and engage in religious activities. For these reasons, freedom of religion is not an individual and solitary cause. It embodies the rights for free thinking, expression and association.