Text of Pope John Paul II's Deed

April 8, 2005— -- The Master of Liturgical Ceremonies places in the coffin a satchel with the monies coined during the Pontificate of the dead pope, as well as a metal tube containing the Deed (a short narrative of the life of the pope) after having sealed it with the seal of the office of liturgical celebrations.

While the coffin is being closed, Psalm 41 is recited.

The Vatican has released the text of the Deed in Latin and in Italian: From the Italian -- this is the text that has been placed in the coffin in the metal tube:

Karol Wojtyla, elected Pope on 16 October 1978, was born in Wadowice, a city 50 km from Krakow. He was born 18 May 1920 and was baptized two days later in the parish church by Father Francesco Zak.

At 9 years he received his first communion and at 18 the sacrament of confirmation. His studies were interrupted because the Nazi occupation forced his University to close. He worked in a mine and later on in the Sovay Chemical factory.

Beginning in 1942, feeling a calling to the Priesthood, he began to attend, clandestinely, the Seminary of Krakow. On November 1, 1946 he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Adam Sapieha. He was then sent to Rome where he continued his studies and completed his doctorate in theology, with a thesis titled 'Doctrina de fide apud Sanctum Ioannem a Cruce'

He returned to Poland where he some pastoral duties and taught sacred subjects. On July 4, 1958 he was nominated Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow by Pope Pius XII. He was made Archbishop of the same diocese by Pope Paul VIth in 1964. He took part in the Second Vatican Council in this role. Pope Paul VIth made him Cardinal on June 26, 1967.

He was elected Pope by the Cardinals on October 16, 1978 and took the name John Paul II. On October 22 , the day of the Lord, he began his ministry of Peter.

The Pontificate of John Paul II was one of the longest in history of the Church. In that period, in many respects, many changes occurred. Regimes fell and he contributed to this. With the scope of delivering the Gospel he made many trips to numerous nations.

John Paul II exercised the Ministry of Peter with a tireless sense of spiritutal mission, dedicating all his energy moved by sollicitudo ominium ecclesiarum (exhortation for all the churches) and for charity open to all humanity. More than any of his predeccesors he met with the People of God and Heads of State in ceremonies, general audiences and in various parts of the world.

He successfully promoted dialogue between the Jews and representatives of other religions, often gathering them in meetings of prayer for peace, in particular in Assisi.

He notably increased the size of the College of Cardinals, creating 213 (plus one in pectore). He called 15 Meetings of the Synod of Bishops, 7 ordinary ones and 8 special synods. He erected numerous dioceses and parish councils, in particular in Eastern Europe.

He reformed the Code of Canon Law, both Western and Eastern and created new Institutions and re-ordered the Roman Curia.

As 'sacerdos magnus' (Great Priest) he exercised his liturgical ministry in the dioceses of Rome and in all the world, adhering to the Second Vatican Council. He promoted liturgical life and spiritual life and prayer in an exemplary manner, in particular the eucharistic adoration and the Rosary prayer (Rosarium Virginis Mariae)

Under his guidance the Church moved closer to the third millenium and celebrated the great Jubilee of 2000, following indications in the apostolic letter Tertio millennio adveniente. His leadership brought us to the new era taken from indications from the Apostolic letter Novo millenio ineunte, the letter in which he showed the faithful the path of the future.

With The Year of Redemption, the Marian year and the Year of the Eucharist he promoted the spiritual renewal of the Church. He gave an extraordinary push to canonization and beatification, to show the vast number of examples of sainthood today to serve as an example for men today. He proclaimed Saint Theresa doctor of the Church.

The doctrinal teaching of John Paul II is very rich. Custodian of faith, he worked with knowledge and courage to promote the catholic doctrine, moral and theological doctrine and he contested throughout his entire Pontificate the things which went against the genuine tradition of the Church.

Among his principle documents are 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic constitutions, 45 Apostolic letters, as well as the catechisms that he proposed during his general audiences and the sentences he pronounced in every part of the world. With his teachings John Paul II illuminated the people of God with his theological doctrine (most of all with his first three most important encyclicals -- Redemptor Hominis, Dives in misericordia, Dominum et Vivificantem), social anthropology (Encyclical Laborem exercens, Sollictudo rei socialis, Centesimus annus) moral (Encyclical Veritatis splendor, Evangelium vitae), echumenical (Encyclical Ut unum sint), missionary (Encyclical Redemptoris missio) and mariologicol (Encyclical Redemptoris Mater)).

He promoted the Catechism of the Catholic church, in light of the Tradition, authoritatively interpreted by The Second Vatican Council. He also published a few volumes as a private theologian.

His teaching culminated with the Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia and with the Apostolic letter Mane nobiscum Domine, during the year of the Eucharist.

John Paul II has left us all a testimony of admirable piety, a holy life and of universal fatherhood.