X-Nico

84 unusual facts about Pope John Paul II


Aberfeldie, Victoria

The Polish Catholic church on the corner of Alma Street and Aberfeldie Street was consecrated in 1973 by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II.

Aglona

In 1980 the Church celebrated its 200th anniversary and was officially given the status of a basilica by Pope John Paul II.

Alexander Abdullin

Order of Saint Prince Vladimir of the I and II class, Diploma of Pope John Paul II, and the medal "For Merits» of the I class (Union of Afghanistan Veterans)

Antoine Kambanda

On 8 September 1990, Kambanda was ordained a priest in Mbare, Kabgayi by Pope John Paul II.

Antonio Socci

He is best known for coverage of Catholic Church topics, including general history and subjects such the Secrets of Fatima and the works of Pope John Paul II.

Argentine legislative election, 1987

The project, which had been passed by the Lower House of Congress and had even received Pope John Paul II's personal blessing during an April 1987 state visit, had no future without an absolute UCR majority in the Lower House (the Senate - not in play in 1987 - was dominated by the Justicialist Party).

BBC Radio York

A year prior to its launch, a temporary AM service was broadcast for coverage of the visit to the city by Pope John Paul II.

Brendan Shine

The song stayed in the Top 50 for over 40 weeks and Shine performed the song to Pope John Paul II when the Pope visited Ireland.

Burton P. C. Hall

Hall was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001, and in 2003 he was appointed a Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester (KSS) by Pope John Paul II.

Cæremoniale Episcoporum

In line with the renewal ordered by the Second Vatican Council, a fully revised edition in a single volume was issued by Pope John Paul II in 1984, replacing the earlier editions.

Clive Tyldesley

Throughout his time he also commentated on other events such as Rugby League, the Grand National and even the Pope John Paul II's visit to Liverpool.

Corcovado Rack Railway

The line has been ridden by many famous people, including Pope Pius XII, Pope John Paul II, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Albert Einstein and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Cremisan Valley

The main monastery, housed in a building featuring stone floors, thick walls and high arched ceilings, is decorated with pictures of Pope John Paul II and Don Bosco.

Daniel Seaman

Seaman received the Israel Outstanding Civil Service Award in 2000 for coordinating the international press coverage of Pope John Paul II's visit to the Holy Land in March 2000.

Douglas Roche

In 1995, Pope John Paul II presented him with the Papal Medal for his service as Special Adviser on disarmament and security matters.

Eileen Wu

Eileen has gone on to report on topics such as the Republican National Convention and the death of Pope John Paul II.

Estádio Couto Pereira

The general stadium's attendance record was set on August 5, 1980, when 70,000 people came to see the Pope John Paul II.

Florent Vollant

His Innu-language album of Christmas songs, Nipaiamianan, earned him an apostolic blessing from Pope John Paul II, as well as the Juno Award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year in 2001.

Fort Simpson

Pope John Paul II attempted to visit the community in September 1984 as part of his Canadian tour, but was prevented from landing due to fog; in an address over the radio from Yellowknife, he promised to visit in the future.

Francisco San Diego

Pope John Paul II appointed San Diego as first bishop of Pasig in 2003.

Georgina Island

On a neighbouring island Pope John Paul II stayed on Strawberry Island for four days just before World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto.

Giovanni Angelo Becciu

On 15 October 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Angola, at the same time as per custom elevating him to the Titular Archbishop of Roselle.

Graham Leonard

He was conditionally ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church and was later appointed a monsignor by Pope John Paul II.

Holy Cross Church, Gampaha

An Apostolic Blessing certificate was received from Pope John Paul II for the 75th anniversary of Holy Cross Church in 1991.

Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula

The feature is named after Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) for his contribution to world peace and understanding among people.

Jacqueline Milczarek

She has earned two RTNDA Awards for coverage of Pope John Paul's visit to Canada during the World Youth Day in 2002 as well as for a story about a man who recovered from a coma.

Jean-Marie Benjamin

He is reported to have set up the meeting between former Pope John Paul II and Tariq Aziz, Iraq's foreign minister.

José Ulises Macías Salcedo

Named bishop for the Diocese of Mexicali by Pope John Paul II, on 16 June 1984, and consecrated on 29 July, in the city of Mexicali, presided over by Apostolic Delegate Archbishop Girolamo Prigione.

Pope John Paul II named him the third Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hermosillo on August 19, 1996, and he took possession on 29 October of the same year.

Józef Wesołowski

He was ordained a priest in Kraków on 21 May 1972 by Karol Cardinal Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II.

Juan Pablo Esperanza, Amigo del Alma

The single with just one song was recorded because of the visit of the Pope John Paul II to Mexico.

Juan Pablo II Bridge

When Pope John Paul II visited Concepción the bridge was named after him as a tribute.

Kazan Kremlin

On July 21, 2005, the feast day of the holy icon "Theotokos of Kazan", in the presence of the crowd of 10,000 pilgrims, Patriarch Alexius II and Mintimer Shaeymiev placed at the newly restored Annunciation Cathedral the holiest copy of the long-lost icon, which had been returned to Russia by Pope John Paul II shortly before his death.

Knock, County Mayo

Pope John Paul II, a supporter of devotion to the Virgin Mary, visited Knock in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of the apparition.

Krasiczyn

Adam Stefan Sapieha, a cardinal whom Pope John Paul II described as 'my model', was born in Krasiczyn, in the castle.

Kristiyan Koev

Kristiyan Koev is the only musician who performs Flute solo concert in honour of Charles, Prince of Wales during his diplomatic visit in Italy and the only musician who performs solo concert at the birthday celebration of Pope John Paul II.

La Vang

Though there is no official Vatican recognition of this event as a Marian apparition, on June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the importance of Our Lady of La Vang and expressed desire to rebuild the La Vang Basilica in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the first vision.

Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces

In 1993, during a visit of Pope John Paul II to Lithuania, thousands of volunteers helped the police maintain public order.

Luis Fernando Figari

In 2002, Pope John Paul II named Figari as Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

M'banza-Kongo

Pope John Paul II visited the site during his tour of Angola in 1992.

Manuel Duran Moreno

On January 12, 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Moreno as the Bishop of the Diocese of Tucson.

Maria Teresa of St. Joseph

On December 20, 2002 Pope John Paul II declared Mother Maria Teresa of St. Joseph venerable.

Más Allá

This song was also sung to Pope John Paul II on the celebration of his 50 years of Priesthood.

Museums of Chihuahua

Portraits of the bishops and archbishops of Chihuahua and Pope John Paul II are also represented in the collection.

Nancy McKeon

While McKeon was on The Facts of Life, she and her parents, all devout Catholics, were granted a private audience with Pope John Paul II.

New Evangelization Television

Inspired by the call from Pope John Paul II for "New Evangelization" in the media, the channel revamped its image, mission and name on December 8, 2008, becoming New Evangelization Television.

Niegowić

Niegowić was the place of the first appointment of Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II, as parish priest.

Oleg Makara

His project “Toleration” (1995 – 1996) was dedicated to the Pope John Paul II and was screened on Slovak Television during his first visit in post-communist Slovakia.

Paciano Aniceto

His Principal Consecrator was His Holiness Pope John Paul II and his Principal Co-Consecrators were their Eminences Duraisamy Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy and Eduardo Cardinal Martinez Somalo.

Paranoimia

The 7" single features a monologue about Max Headroom being scared and unable to sleep (hence "Paranoimia", a portmanteau of "paranoia" and "insomnia"). The 12" has a completely different vocal with Headroom as a master of ceremonies, talking about the music and introducing the band (which he claims comprises Peter O'Toole, Martina Navratilova, Cher and the Pope).

Paul Mbiybe Verdzekov

On March 18, 1982 he became archbishop of Bamenda when his diocese was elevated to archdiocese by Pope John Paul II.

Philip Duffy

Of particular note was the celebration of Mass by Pope John Paul II in the Cathedral in 1982 which was broadcast to a worldwide audience.

Pierre-Marie Carré

On 8 Oct 2000, he was ordained Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Albi by Pope John Paul II.

Pierreville, Quebec

During the visit of Pope John Paul II to Canada in 1984, the company modified a GMC Sierra truck for use as a Popemobile, a secure form of transport built to withstand a commando attack.

Płonkowo

The church contains the remains of Marian Skrzypczak, who was shot in Płonkowo in 1939 by Hitler youth, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

Pope John Paul II's relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church

Resistance from the Russian Orthodox Church and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, however, meant the visit never happened.

On June 22, 2003, he visited Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a city inhabited by many Catholics before the 1992-1995 war, but since then predominantly Orthodox.

In 1998, he beatified Aloysius Stepinac, the Croatian war-time Archbishop of Zagreb, a move seen negatively by those who believe that he was an active collaborator with the Ustaše fascist regime, which committed genocide against Serbs as well as Jews.

He held a mass at the Petrićevac monastery, a place of considerable controversy and distress, both during World War II and during the Yugoslav wars.

Ramon Arguelles

On November 26, 1993, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the office of bishop, and appointed him Titular Bishop of Roscrea.

Raymund Schwager

He especially valued Pope John Paul II's activities in this respect: his travels and encounters with other religious leaders, his prayer meetings in Assisi and his confession of guilt for the church on the First Sunday of Lent in 2000.

Renée Montagne

Montagne traveled to Rome to cover the funeral of Pope John Paul II for NPR's Morning Edition in 2005.

Roberta Kelly

When Pope John Paul II succeeded John Paul I in 1979, Kelly released the single "John Paul II", The single never made it onto an album, but the "Tribute to Love" did in the late 1980 release, Roots Can Be Anywhere. By this time, Kelly was no longer with Casablanca Records.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio

All of Texas' dioceses had been suffragan sees under San Antonio until December 2004 when Pope John Paul II created the new Ecclesiastical Province of Galveston-Houston and elevated the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to a Metropolitan See.

Roman Catholicism in Afghanistan

On 16 May 2002, Pope John Paul II established a mission sui iuris for Afghanistan with Father Giuseppe Moretti as its first superior.

Roman Catholicism in Antigua and Barbuda

The Apostolic Nuncio of Antigua and Barbuda was established on December 15, 1986 with the Papal brief Ut publica et Ecclesiae of Pope John Paul II.

Roman Catholicism in the Gambia

In 1992 Pope John Paul II visited Gambia and gave further impetus to the interest in Christian-Muslim relations within the Catholic community.

Rome Marathon

The race start point was at Saint Peter's Square and Pope John Paul II delivered a short benediction in approval of the event and the Bells of Saint Peter's replaced the usual starter's pistol to signal the beginning of the race.

Russian icons

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many Russian icons have been repatriated via direct purchase by Russian museums, private Russian collectors, or as was the case of Pope John Paul II giving an 18th-century copy of the famous Our Lady of Kazan icon to the Russian Orthodox Church, returned to Russia in good faith.

San Giovanni Rotondo

The nearby Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel is also the site of Catholic pilgrimages and was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

Sanctuary on San Cristóbal Hill

On the pedestal there is a small chapel in which his holiness John Paul II prayed and blessed the city of Santiago on April 1, 1987.

Socrates B. Villegas

Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Manila on July 25, 2001.

St Monica's High School

During Pope John Paul II's visit to the United Kingdom in 1982 the school (St Peter's RC High School at the time) was used as the base for local authorities and members of the Pope's entourage.

St. Dominic's Church, Bahawalpur

Pope John Paul II sent a Special Envoy, Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, to show his concern for the welfare of all the people and offering his prayers for peace in this region.

St. Mary's Cathedral, Punalur

Punalur Diocese was separated from the Diocese of Quilon (Kollam) and created into a separate unit by the Bull “Verba Christ” of Pope John Paul II, issued on 21 December 1985.

Steve Gaisford

Steve Gaisford has covered many breaking news stories including The Asian Tsunami, The Death of Pope John Paul II and The Madrid train bombings and from the world of sport including the live media circus that was David Beckham signing for Real Madrid.

Tenix

By the early 1980s, Transfield had in excess of 3,000 employees and an annual turnover of A$350 million.When visiting Australia in 1986 Pope John Paul II toured the Transfield factory located at Seven Hills.

Thornwood, New York

However, due to a lack of vocations and private funds—partly due to the shocking abuse scandal caused by the order's founder, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado (who had at one time been admired by Pope John Paul II), which resulted in a Vatican investigation and revision—the entire course of Seminary studies will now be taken at the Legionaries' Seminary in Rome, Italy and the building will be sold.

Tibor Kalman

This perspective was communicated through bold graphic design, typography, and juxtaposition of photographs and doctored images, including a series in which highly recognizable figures such as the Pope and Queen Elizabeth were depicted as racial minorities.

Un Mundo Diferente

The song became his most popular song since was performed specially for Juan Pablo II.

Vatican Television Center

Created in 1983 by Pope John Paul II, the Vatican Television Center is, since November 1996, an institution legally associated with the Vatican.

Veteran Pakistani Roman Catholic Priests

On 24 Apr 2001 he was appointed Archbishop of Lahore by Pope John Paul II.

Virginia Romero

The friars gave the tile to Cardinal Levada as a parting gift, and he said that he would give it to Pope Benedict XVI because Our Lady of Czestochowa was the patron saint of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

Wanda Tomczykowska

St. Mary’s Cathedral boasts a reproduction of The Black Madonna of Czestochowa at which Pope John Paul II said Mass during a visit to San Francisco.


Abdelwahab Doukkali

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Mérite et Dévouement français in 2004, the Grand Prix Humanitaire de France in 2006, and medals from both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Bernard Longley

On 4 January 2003 Longley was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Zarna by Pope John Paul II.

Bhai Baljeet Singh

The magic of this group extended to United States of America(U.S.A) in 2006 and they performed in Washington DC in an Interfaith concert at Pope John Paul Hall and at the White House, also they’ve spread their wings to many different cities in USA,Life changed for them when in 2007 they performed for The Sikh Gurudwara, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bishop of Paisley

Upon the death of Bishop Black in March 1968 the Rt Rev Stephen McGill was translated by Pope Paul VI from the see of Argyll and the Isles and remained in Paisley until his retirement in March 1988 whereupon he was succeeded by the Rt Rev John Mone an auxiliary bishop of Glasgow and an appointee of Pope John Paul II.

Bruno Vespa

During the 1970s and 1980s, he undertook several controversial and ground-breaking projects, mainly as a foreign correspondent for RAI, interviewing many soon-to-be-influential personalities of the decades (for example, Vespa interviewed then-Cardinal Karol Wojtyła in 1977, a full year before his election to the pontificate).

Cathedral of Chihuahua

Directly opposite, on the south side, inside the Chapel of Christ of Mapimí, is the tomb of St Peter of Jesus Maldonado, a priest and martyr who was ordained in the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick in El Paso, Texas, and canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

Cherry Creek State Park

On August 15, 1993, Cherry Creek State Park was the location for the papal mass of the 8th World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II.

Color Esperanza

In 2003, the song was performed specially by Torres for the Pope John Paul II in Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid, Spain by the festival of the Youth, in order to welcome the Pope.

Fiorenza Cedolins

In 2005 she performed Verdi’s Requiem at the Auditorium of Santa Cecilia in Rome, conducted by Zubin Mehta; at the requiem mass for Pope John Paul II; and on tour in Frankfurt and Vienna with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, conducted by Riccardo Chailly.

Gerard de Korte

Pope John Paul II appointed Gerard de Korte as auxiliarty bishop of the Archdiocese of Utrecht on 11 April 2001 and as titular bishop of Caesarea in Mauritania.

Good News in Hard Times

Later that year, on December 16, they appeared before Pope John Paul II at the Christmas at the Vatican II concert in Rome.

History of Roman Catholicism in Hispano-America

However, the movement, which has been highly controversial in the Catholic theological community, has been condemned by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Holy door

Pope John Paul II simplified the ceremony for the Great Jubilee of 2000 for safety reasons; previously, debris had fallen on Pope Paul VI while striking down the door.

Iveta Apkalna

In 1993 she was the official organist in service at Aglona basilica (Latvia) during the visit of Pope John Paul II.

Izamal

Pope John Paul II visited Izamal in August 1993, where he performed a mass for the blacks and presented the statue of the Virgin with a silver crown.

James Weisgerber

On March 7, 1996, Weisgerber was appointed the fifth Bishop of Saskatoon by Pope John Paul II.

Jennifer Paige

Paige toured the world, sang for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, was nominated for Best New Artist and performed at the World Music Awards, while promoting her music.

John Francis Dearden

He was also one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II respectively.

Joseph Malula

Malula was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II, respectively.

La bottega dell'orefice

La bottega dell'orefice is a 1989 film based on The Jeweler's Shop, a play written by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) and scripted by Jeff Andrus, starring Burt Lancaster and directed by Michael Anderson.

Miguel Ángel Alba Díaz

He was appointed bishop for the Diocese of Fessei and auxiliar bishop for the Archdiocese of Oaxaca by Pope John Paul II on June 10, 1995, and consecrated on July 25, in a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Adolfo Antonio Suárez Rivera.

Pope John Paul II appointed him the third bishop of the Diocese of La Paz, Baja California Sur on July 16, 2001, and took possession the same year.

Oliver Plunkett

(He has since been followed by 17 other Irish martyrs who were beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1992. Among them were Archbishop Dermot O'Hurley, Margaret Ball, and the Wexford Martyrs.)

Paul Zoungrana

Zoungrana was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively.

Petrićevac

The reconstruction of the buildings started in 2003 after Pope John Paul II visited the site.

Pope John Paul II's visits to Nicaragua

Consequently, the Sandinistas made a tremendous effort to encourage Nicaraguans to attend the two papal masses that were held in León and Managua.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid

Pope John Paul II gave the Archdiocese Metropolitan status on 23 July 1991, while created two sufraganeous dioceses: Getafe and Alcalá de Henares.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen

The cross is taken from the arms of the See of Trenton from which the diocese was formed; the tongue of fire refers both to "metachen," Lenni Lenape for firewood, and the descent of the Holy Spirit; the crowned M refers to the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the diocesan patron, founding bishop Theodore McCarrick's arms, and Pope John Paul II's arms.

Slivovitz

Some of the most famous people who tasted the Troyan plum brandy are Pope John Paul II and the former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Sombrero Vueltiao

This iconic symbol of Colombia has been sported by hundreds of personalities, including Pope John Paul II when he visited Colombia in 1986, and former President of the United States Bill Clinton when he visited Cartagena, Colombia in August 2000.

Stefan Milenković

In 1991, he played for Pope John Paul II, and in 1993, Milenković gave his 1000th concert in Monterrey, Mexico.

Thady Coughlan

In October of the same year, he was present at the canonisation of Oliver Plunkett, where he met the then Pope Paul VI and future Pope John Paul II who was bishop of Kraków at the time.

The Keys of This Blood

Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev, and international business leaders are in competition to establish this one world government and that this competition will intensify around the turn of the 20th century.

Tom 'Diver' Derrick Bridge

But in 2005, in the wake of the death of Pope John Paul II, Mr Rann announced the rail bridge would be named after Saint Mary MacKillop.