The Way to Christ: Spiritual Exercises

The Writings of One of the World's Greatest Religious Leaders on the Most Important Spiritual Issues of Our Time.

The Way to Christ offers a unique opportunity to experience inspiring sermons Pope John Paul II preached during spiritual retreats he led while he was still a cardinal. In them he addresses the pressing spiritual issues of our day: the miracle and dignity of each human life, the need for a community that nurtures humanity, the necessity of cultivating the inner spiritual life, and the power of Christ to transform our present and future realities. These deeply scriptural, very personal talks celebrate the reality and the immediacy of Christ, offering rich insights and solid guidance for Christians living in today's world.

Karol Józef Wojtyla (1920-2005), known as John Paul II since his election to the papacy in 1978, was born in Wadowice, Poland. As a young man he enrolled in a drama school but then was forced to work in a quarry and a chemical factory during the Nazi occupation to avoid deportation to Germany. In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Cracow. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1946 and then in 1964 he was nominated as Archbishop of Cracow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal 1967.

During his pontificate, John Paul II inspired literally millions of the faithful through pilgrimages and during his hundreds of pastoral visits around the world, as well as through his many sermons and written works. As the successor of Peter and Vicar of Jesus Christ, he revolutionized the office of the modern pope. He took his mission out of the Vatican and around the globe, pushing back the boundaries of the old Christian Europe, while proselytizing, reforming, and opening new churches around the world.