Did Pope John Paul II fall in love with a married woman?

Pope John Paul II had a close relationship with a married woman which lasted over 30 years, according to 350 letters were found at the National Library of Poland. The letters are the centerpiece of a documentary being shown by the BBC. The documentary does not claim then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla broke his vow of celibacy with Polish-born philosopher and writer Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, but points to intense feelings between them. The two spent camping and skiing holidays together and went on country walks. In one letter from September 1976, he calls her a “gift from God”. Senior BBC journalist Edward Stourton said, “I would say they were more than friends but less than lovers.” John Paul II was pope from 1978 to 2005 and was made a saint by the Catholic Church after his death.

Read more on Pope John Paul’s letters to Polish writer.