John Paul II, Pope /ˌdʒɒn pɔːl ðə ˈsekənd $ ˌdʒɑːn-/ BrE AmE
(1920–) a Polish priest, who became the first Polish ↑ Pope (=the leader of the Roman Catholic religion) in 1978. He has travelled more than any Pope before, visiting countries all over the world. He has often spoken about his opposition to ↑ birth control and to the idea of women becoming priests.