Testament of Pope John Paul II Testament of Pope John Paul II The Testament of Pope John Paul II is a document written by Pope John Paul II, and is similar to a civilian last will and testament. It was modeled on the Testament of Pope Paul VI. The document, written in the Polish language, contains an explanation of several decisions made by Pope John Paul II as to the disposal of his estate and personal belongings of value. It was read before the College of Cardinals by Camerlengo Eduardo Martínez Somalo and Dean of the College of Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger (who became Pope Benedict XVI
Health of Pope John Paul II Health of Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II entered the papacy in 1978 as an avid sportsman, enjoying hiking and swimming. The 58-year-old was extremely healthy and active for his age, jogging in the Vatican gardens to the horror of Vatican staff, who informed him that his jogging could be seen by tourists climbing to the summit of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The pope's response, according to media reports, was "so what?" When the cost of installing a swimming pool in his summer residence was queried by cardinals, John Paul joked that it was "cheaper than