Pope Saint John Paul II died twenty-one years ago. As a member of what is affectionately called the “JPII generation,” I’ve been struck by how much of his story and writings remain unfamiliar to many of us, despite his profound influence on the Church and the world. He had a deep love and understanding of the human person and recognized and celebrated the feminine heart. Through his frequent use of the phrase, he popularized the term feminine genius. 

Here are five recommendations for further reading to get to know Pope Saint John Paul II both as a person and as a theologian, particularly his understanding of the genius of women. 

1. Letter to Women

Written in 1995, Pope Saint John Paul II’s Letter to Women is, in many ways, a thank-you letter for all that women are. In it, he calls for equality for women based on their inherent dignity and even apologizes for when this has not happened. A quick read, it is a good launchpad into Pope Saint John Paul II’s love and understanding of women.

He reminds us:

"Necessary emphasis should be placed on the ‘genius of women’, not only by considering great and famous women of the past or present, but also those ordinary women who reveal the gift of their womanhood by placing themselves at the service of others in their everyday lives. For in giving themselves to others each day women fulfil their deepest vocation" (Letter to Women, 12).

2. Mulieris Dignitatem

Mulieris Dignitatem, or On the Dignity of Women, is an apostolic letter Pope Saint John Paul II wrote in 1988. He recognized the need for further reflection on the understanding of women by reading the “signs of the times.” Through a biblical lens, drawing on Mary, Eve, the woman at the well, and other women in Scripture, John Paul II reminds us that women are guardians of the Gospel message.

He expounds upon the gift of virginity and motherhood in a woman’s vocation. He offers a deeper understanding of the often-misunderstood passage from Ephesians 5 about husbands and wives. He also helps us see the priesthood through a feminine lens, with Christ as the Bridegroom and the Church as His Bride.

A passage I come back to often:

"Jesus’ attitude to the women whom He meets in the course of His Messianic service reflects the eternal plan of God, who, in creating each one of them, chooses her and loves her in Christ (cf. Eph 1:1-5). Each woman therefore is ‘the only creature on earth which God willed for its own sake.’ Each of them from the ‘beginning’ inherits as a woman the dignity of personhood. Jesus of Nazareth confirms this dignity, recalls it, renews it, and makes it a part of the Gospel and of the Redemption for which he is sent into the world" (Mulieris Dignitatem, 13).

3. Meditation on Givenness

This writing of Pope Saint John Paul II has only recently come to light. Written in 1994, it was not published until after his death. Short and profound, and aptly called a meditation, it reflects on the gift of the human person and how we are entrusted with one another in relationship.

You can tell the theme is personal to John Paul II, and it tracks with the stories you hear about him. He saw each person as a gift given to him, and he shares a little of his personal experience in this reflection. He also reflects on the gift of creation and beauty, and how our redemption by Jesus affirms the sacredness of humanity.

“We must ourselves be a total gift, a disinterested, sincere gift in order to recognize, in every man, the gift that he is, and to thank the Giver for the gift of the human person” (Meditation on Givenness). 

4. Theology of the Body 

In his biography of Pope Saint John Paul II, Witness to Hope, George Weigel describes the Theology of the Body as a “theological time bomb set to go off, with dramatic consequences, sometime in the third millennium of the church” (p. 343).

There are many teachings, books, and resources surrounding the Theology of the Body, but its beauty is encountered reading the original texts. First delivered as one hundred and twenty-nine Wednesday general audiences, it expands Saint John Paul II’s 1960 writing of Love and Responsibility.

A teaser quote to get you started:

“The body, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it” (Theology of the Body, Audience 19, paragraph 4).

5. The Place Within: The Poetry of John Paul II

Thousands of pages reveal Pope Saint John Paul II’s theology, but his poetry reveals his heart. A gaze into his contemplative soul, his poetry was published under a pseudonym throughout his life. 

Through his poetry, he sheds light on suffering, grief, and love, unlocking an understanding of his humanity and sanctity. Saint John Paul II suffered tremendously in his early life, and his poetry provides a glimpse of his wrestling with the questions suffering brings.

For example, here is an excerpt of the poem he wrote at age nineteen about his mother’s grave:

Over this your white grave
covered for years, there is a stir
in the air, something uplifting
and, like death, beyond comprehension.

Over this your white grave
oh, mother, can such loving cease?
for all his filial adoration
a prayer:
Give her eternal peace— 

John Paul II Loves You Too

If you’d rather start with a biography, I recommend Jason Evert’s Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves. Weigel’s Witness to Hope is the definitive biography if you are looking to go even deeper into his life and the inner workings of the Vatican. 

However, don’t let his writing intimidate you—Pope Saint John Paul II is worth getting to know in his own words. When crowds would chant “JPII, we love you,” he would respond “John Paul II loves you too.”  

Remember that, and dive in.