X-Nico

73 unusual facts about Pope John Paul II


Aaron Katersky

He is a first-hand witness to some of the most significant world events of the last decade, including the Iraq War, the death of Pope John Paul II in Rome and the revolution in Egypt.

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)

Andrea Angelini

He led this choir in several performances, including in important venues such as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - where he was able to meet Pope John Paul II - and in Milan's Cathedral.

Antoine Kambanda

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

Bernhard Fritsch

In 1999, Fritsch presented Pope John Paul II with a $50,000 donation for the Papal Council Cor Unum, the coordinating body for all the Catholic Church’s charitable institutions.

Bovino

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

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.

Cape Froward

On the cape's hill was built a large metallic cross (Cruz de los Mares, Cross of the Seas) in honor to John Paul II Pope's visit to Chile, back in 1987, it was first built in 1913, and several times in between due to the harsh weather.

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.

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.

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.

Elvin Bale

Elvin performed in the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, under helicopters in the French Alps, and at African soccer stadiums.

Ernesto Lamagna

He contributed the sculpture of Ecce mater Dulcissima in the 2003 exhibit in Rome to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the pontificate 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.

Estádio Romildo Vitor Gomes Ferreira

In 2005, the stadium was renamed to Estádio Papa João Paulo II, after 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.

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.

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 Cross Church, Gampaha

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

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.

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.

James Weisgerber

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

John Paul Stevens High School

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

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.

Juan Pablo II Bridge

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

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.

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.

Manuel Duran Moreno

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

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 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 F. Lorence

On December 25, 1988, Gaddafi offered to release the body of Capt. Lorence to his family through Pope John Paul II.

Petrićevac

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

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.

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.

Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli

Pope John Paul II was presented the official Jubilee Bell in 2000 that is hung in St. Peters Square.

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

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.

Ramon Arguelles

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

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.

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.

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.

Silvano Maria Tomasi

He was appointed as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples on 27 June 1989 by Pope John Paul II.

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, Jalandhar

In 1987, the demolition of the old church was initiated and the foundation stone that had been blessed by Pope John Paul II for the new church was laid on 19 April 1987 by Rt.

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.

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.

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.

Walter Jagiello

The highlight of Jagiello's career was performing for Pope John Paul II in 1984, who requested Wally to continue playing after his initial song, "God Bless Our Polish Pope".

Werner Thissen

He was named Archbishop of Hamburg by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 2002; he was installed as such on January 25, 2003.


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.

Bernardus Johannes Alfrink

Resigning as Utrecht's archbishop on 6 December 1975, he later voted in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively.

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.

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.

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.

Eileen Wu

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

Explo '72

David Hill Scott, writing for the May, 2005, edition of Christianity Today, documented the effects Explo '72 had on Pope John Paul II.

Francisco San Diego

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

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.

Iveta Apkalna

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

John J. Studzinski

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Paul Mbiybe Verdzekov

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Stanisław Ryłko

He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (later Pope John Paul II) on 30 March 1969, in Wawel Cathedral, and then did pastoral work in Poronin until 1971.

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.

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.

U Thant Peace Award

It had been bestowed by The Peace Meditation at the United Nations upon Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Javier Perez de Cuellar, Kurt Waldheim the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Dada J.P. Vaswani, Swami Satchidananda and U Thant’s daughter, Daw Aye Aye Thant.

Vatican Television Center

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

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.