In the year 2000 there will be well over 1000 million Roman Catholics. Of these two thirds will live in the developing world, more than half in Latin America alone. For the 263rd pope, John Paul II, it is a momentous date. The church that enters the new millenium will probably be led by him, and has certainly been moulded by him in a dramatic fashion. In this new biography, John Paul II is revealed as one of the most influential popes in the history of the Church. As the first Slav pontiff, he has looked East as well as West from Rome, and was a major force behind the revival of Eastern Europe and the overthrow of communism. Michael Walsh examines the convictions of the Pope, and tells how he came to hold them. It also documents the dramatic events of his papacy.