Before the world knew him as Pope John Paul II, he was Karol Wojtyła—a young man shaped by war, loss, and quiet resistance.

In this episode, we trace Wojtyła's journey from Nazi-occupied Poland, where he labored in a quarry and secretly studied for the priesthood, to his rise within the Catholic Church under the shadow of Soviet communism. Along the way, he forged a philosophy rooted in human dignity, freedom, and faith—ideas that would later help inspire millions behind the Iron Curtain.

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