X-Nico

70 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.

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.

Apostolic Nunciature to Ukraine

On this day, Pope John Paul II issued briefs «Ucrainam Nationem», where he founded the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine.

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.

Bovino

Karol Józef Wojtyła returned as Pope John Paul II in the 1980s in order to officially ratify the apparitions and open the church.

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).

Canonesses of St. Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus

The Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine, O.S.A., who was among the first volunteers to go to Quebec, was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1989.

Čataj

These artworks have been sold all over the world, and one of them is said to have served as the late Pope John Paul II's table cloth.

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.

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.

Church of St. George, Istanbul

Some of the bones of these two saints, which were looted from Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, were returned to the Church of St George by Pope John Paul II in 2004.

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.

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.

Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci

On December 25, 1988, after years of denying that they had the bodies of the two crew members, Gaddafi offered to release the body of Lorence to his family through Pope John Paul II.

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.

Francisco San Diego

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

Gabriele Paolini

On March 5, 1995, Paolini personally disguised a condom as a request in a paper and gave it to Pope John Paul II at a church in Rome.

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.

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 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.

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.

Iveta Apkalna

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

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.

Jarry Park Stadium

The stadium was renamed in honor of Pope John Paul II to mark his visit to Montréal and the park on September 11, 1984.

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 J. Studzinski

Pope John Paul II made Studzinski a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory.

John Paul Stevens High School

In 1987, Pope John Paul II held Mass on the site that Stevens High School was eventually built on.

John-Paul Lee

Originally given a Korean name, Chang Sun Lee, he was renamed John-Paul Lee upon being blessed by Pope John Paul II in Washington, D.C. He moved to Seoul, Korea at the age of 10 where he spent 5 years of his childhood and returned to Virginia in 2003.

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.

Kurt Calleja

Years later he was chosen to sing in the children's choir during the last visit to Malta of his Holiness, Pope John Paul II.

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.

Louis D. Astorino

He was introduced to the international stage in 1996 when Gateway Clipper Fleet founder John E. Connelly introduced him as a prospective architect for the Domus Sanctae Marthae that Pope John Paul II wanted to build to house cardinals during the selection of popes.

Luis Fernando Figari

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Oliver, Edmonton

Originally St. Joseph's Cathedral, the name was changed when Pope John Paul II visited Edmonton during his visit to Canada in 1984.

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.

Paul Mbiybe Verdzekov

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

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.

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.

On his arrival, the Patriarch and the President of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, greeted the Pope.

Pope John Paul II's visits to Nicaragua

The Pope was repeatedly interrupted during the Mass, which eventually made him angry (see the papal biography by George Weigel).

Ramon Arguelles

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

Renée Montagne

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

Richard C. Casey

In 1999, Casey travelled to Rome to meet Pope John Paul II and accept the Blessed Hyacinth Cormier, O.P., Medal for "outstanding leadership in the promotion of Gospel Values in the field of justice and ethics".

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 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.

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.

Sergio Pagano

He was appointed Vice-Prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives by Pope John Paul II on 30 January 1995, and a few days later he was appointed Vice-Director of the Vatican School of Paleography, Diplomatics and Archives Administration.

Socrates B. Villegas

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

St Paul's Catholic Comprehensive School and Performing Arts College

There is a Catholic chapel on the premises, which features a plaque blessed by Pope John Paul II.

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.

Veteran Pakistani Roman Catholic Priests

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

Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro is also the site of what is claimed to be the largest Christian place of worship on Earth: The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, consecrated by Pope John Paul II on 10 September 1990.


Artuz

The place where Jesus appeared is commemorated by a temple now, which Pope John Paul II visited during his visit to Syria in 2000.

Auburn Gresham, Chicago

Auburn Gresham is home to the St. Leo Campus for Veterans, which includes the Catholic Charities' St. Leo's Residence, the Auburn Gresham Community Based Outpatient Clinic, the St. Leo's Veteran's Garden, and the Pope John Paul II Residence.

Australia the Lucky Cunt

The EP was re-released in November 1993 under the title "Censored Due To Legal Advice", with new cover art depicting the infamous incident where Sinéad O'Connor tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II (the image of the Pope being doctored to read "TISM") on Saturday Night Live.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cuatro Vientos Airport

The Cuatro Vientos Airport provided the location for the meeting of Pope John Paul II with young people on his fifth and last visit to Spain on May 3, 2003, and for the vigil and final mass of World Youth Day 2011 with Pope Benedict XVI, on August 20-21.

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.

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.

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.

M'banza-Kongo

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

Miri Nishri

The 120 responses she received from people around the world (including Yoko Ono, Avi Mograbi, the Dalai Lama and the Pope) were shown at an exhibition at Ha'Kibbutz Israeli Art Gallery.

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.

Nikolaus Gross

Nikolaus Gross (German:Groß) (30 September 1898 – 23 January 1945) was a German resistance fighter and labor union leader in the time of the Third Reich who was later beatified by Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on 7 October 2001.

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.)

Olivier Clément

Olivier Clément has been the interlocutor of several great spiritual profiles of his time - Patriarch Athenagoras, Pope John Paul II, Romanian priest and theologian Dumitru Staniloae, Archimandrite Sophrony of the Maldon Monastery (Great Britain), Brother Roger of Taizé, Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio community - all of whom he formed a relationship of trust and friendship with.

Paolo Pellegrin

In the same year he covered the aftermath of the Tsunami and hurricane Katrina and won two World Press Photo awards, one for his work on the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and another for the reportage on the backstage of fashion shows in NYC.

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 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.

Peter Mansbridge

On the scene, he anchored coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales and Pope John Paul II, numerous royal, papal, and U.S. presidential visits to Canada, numerous Olympic Games, and the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

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 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.

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.

Rrok Mirdita

On December 25, 1992, aged 53, he was appointed the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tiranë-Durrës and ordained on April 25, 1993 by Pope John Paul II and Cardinals Camillo Ruini and Jozef Tomko, along with three other bishops (Zef Simoni, Frano Illia and Robert Ashta) during the Pope's pastoral visit to Albania.

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 Wyszyński

In the CBS miniseries Pope John Paul II (based upon the life of the Polish pope), Cardinal Wyszyński was portrayed by English actor Christopher Lee.

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 Green Bible

Before the biblical text, the Green Bible provides an introduction from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and essays from Brian McLaren, Cal DeWitt, Barbara Brown Taylor, Pope John Paul II, Ellen Davis, N. T. Wright, Ellen Bernstein, Matthew Sleeth, James Jones, and Gordon Aeschliman.

Tiara of Pope John Paul II

As no pope has worn a papal tiara since Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II made the practice optional later, the Hungarian Tiara remains unworn.

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.

VTC produced many documentaries during the reigns of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Wawel Cathedral

Both of these pre-pontificate events were depicted in the first half of the 2005 U.S. TV miniseries, Pope John Paul II in which Cary Elwes played the younger Wojtyla.

Yaky Yosha

In 2000 Yosha directed a feature length documentary, Inherit the Earth, narrated by Liam Neeson, about the preparations for the Pope's historic visit to Israel.