Stanislaw Dziwisz Polish Cardinal and Curial Dignitary Date of Birth: 27.04.0139 Country: Poland

1. Stanislaw Dziwisz: Early Life and Education
2. Priesthood and Service to Pope John Paul II
3. Archbishop and Cardinal
4. Later Career and Legacy

Stanislaw Dziwisz: Early Life and Education

Stanislaw Dziwisz was born on April 27, 1939, in the Polish village of Raba Wyzna. His parents were Stanislaw Dziwisz, a railway worker, and Sofia Belarczyk. Despite failing his matriculation exam in 1957, Dziwisz pursued education at the Classical Lyceum in Nowy Targ.

Priesthood and Service to Pope John Paul II

Dziwisz was ordained a priest on June 23, 1963, and served as auxiliary bishop to Karol Jozef Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Krakow. From 1966 to 1978, he was the personal secretary to Archbishop Wojtyla.

In 1978, when Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul II, Dziwisz became his personal secretary. He served in this capacity until 2005, earning a reputation as a close and trusted confidant of the pope.

Archbishop and Cardinal

On February 7, 1998, Dziwisz was appointed Titular Bishop of San Leone and Adjunct Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household. He was ordained as a bishop on March 19, 1998, by Pope John Paul II himself.

On September 29, 2003, John Paul II elevated Dziwisz to the rank of archbishop, while still retaining his titular See of San Leone.

On March 24, 2006, Dziwisz was created a cardinal-priest with the titular church of Santa Maria del Popolo.

Later Career and Legacy

Dziwisz became Archbishop of Krakow on June 3, 2005, a position he held until December 8, 2016. He authored several books, including a biography of Pope John Paul II titled "Ho ToccAto Questo Mistero" ("I Have Touched This Mystery").

Dziwisz retired from the active episcopate in 2016 and continued to serve as a cardinal. He remained a respected figure in the Catholic Church, known for his close relationship with Pope John Paul II and his decades of service to the Vatican.