Before Karol Wojtyła became Pope St. John Paul II, he dreamed of a life in theater. The young Polish actor’s path to priesthood came through an encounter with another saint—one whose mystical writings redirected his passion from stage to sanctuary. Read the full story at Aleteia for details on this formative spiritual friendship.
What happened
Aleteia reports on the spiritual influence of St. John of the Cross on the young Karol Wojtyła. During his youth in Poland, Wojtyła was devoted to theater and acting, considering it a primary vocation. His encounter with the Spanish Carmelite mystic’s writings proved pivotal in discerning his call to priesthood instead.
The article traces how John of the Cross’s mystical theology—particularly his writings on dark nights of the soul and union with God—resonated deeply with the future Pope during the darkness of Nazi-occupied Poland. This influence would later shape John Paul II’s philosophical and theological work throughout his papacy.
Why this matters
The communion of saints is not abstract doctrine but lived reality. Wojtyła’s story illustrates how saints across centuries and cultures form one another. A 16th-century Spanish Carmelite friar shaped a 20th-century Polish Pope who would himself influence millions.
John of the Cross’s mystical writings offered Wojtyła a way to understand suffering that matched the historical moment he inhabited. Occupied Poland was its own dark night. The Spanish mystic’s insistence that God works most deeply in apparent absence gave the young seminarian a theological framework for the horrors around him. That same theology would later inform John Paul II’s teaching on redemptive suffering in Salvifici Doloris.
For Catholic readers
Consider reading one of St. John of the Cross’s works this week—Dark Night of the Soul or Ascent of Mount Carmel. His feast day is December 14. If you find him difficult (many do), start with a guided commentary or read alongside John Paul II’s writings on him.
Sources: 1. Aleteia — original report
