Video portrays John Paul II's life

Titled "Pope John Paul II Statesman of Faith", this 50-minute segment from the A&E cable network chronicles the turbulent life of Karol Wojtyla, earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church. Wojtyla originally aspired to be an actor.

Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978 after the death of Pope John Paul I who served just one month before dying of a heart attack. John Paul II, the first Polish pope, is also the first non-Italian pope in nearly 500 years.

His life has been filled with suffering and triumph. The future pope lost his mother, father and brother early in life. After starting underground classes and theatre during the Nazi occupation of Poland, he realized his calling. He joined the underground seminary shocking his friends who thought he would become an actor. He was ordained in 1946 and went to Rome to earn his PhD.

Living through the Nazi occupation of Poland, he experienced firsthand the horror of the holocaust during World War II. The pope said politics are the Church's business if they affect the way people are treated.

His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, perhaps the most powerful pope in history, was a key factor in the fall of Communism and emphasizes non-violent means of achieving peace. He is a true model of faith. He even forgave the man who tried to end his life with a bullet.

This movie gives me hope. I realize that God will always prevail no matter how awful it may seem. It is through Pope John Paul II that God guides His Church, which was started by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago through Peter, our first pope.

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