BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN PAUL II (Pre Pontificate)
Father (Karol Wojtyła): Son of a master tailor Maciej and Anna, born July 18, 1879 at Lipnik near the city of Bielsko Biała, Poland. Tailor, from 1900 administrative officer of the Austrian army, then lieutenant in the Polish army until his retirement in 1927.
Mother (Emilia Kaczorowska): Daughter of a pack-saddle maker and refurnishes carriages, named Feliks, and Maria Anna; born March 26, 1884.
Brother (Edmund): Born on August 27, 1906 in Kraków, physician, worked in Powszechny Hospital in Bielsko.
KAROL JÓSEF WOJTYŁA
May 18, 1920: Born in Wadowice (Kraków), Poland.
Jun 20, 1920: Baptized by the military chaplain P. Franciszek Zak.
Sep 15, 1926: Attended the elementary school for boys, and then the prep years of secondary school "Marcin Wadowita" in which during all his classes he achieved the top grades.
Apr 13, 1929: Mother died.
June, 1930: Admitted to the State Secondary School for boys, "Marcin Wadowita".
Dec 5, 1932: Brother Edmund died.
Sep, 1935: Participated in military training exercises at Hermanice.
June 22, 1938: Enrolld in the Faculty of Philosophy (course of Polish Philosophy) at Jagellonian University, Kraków.
Sep 1, 1939: The Second World War was begun.
Nov 1, 1940: He earnd a living and forestalls deportation and imprisonment, as a stone cutter in quarry at Zakrzówek, Kraków.
Feb 18, 1941: father died.
Oct, 1942: Began clandestine studies for the priesthood in Kraków's underground seminary; registers in the Faculty of Theology of the Jagellonian University.
Feb 29 to Mar 12, 1944: Hit by an automobile; recovery in hospital.
August 1944: Archbishop Adam Stefan Sapieha transfers him, together with other clandestine seminarians to the Archbishop's Residence where he remains until the end of the war. He continues his studies but discontinued the work at chemical plant.
Nov 9, 1944: Received the tonsure.
Dec 17, 1944: Received the first two minor orders.
Dec 12, 1945: Received the two other minor orders.
Oct 13, 1946: Sub-diaconate.
Oct 20, 1946: Diaconate.
Nov 1, 1946: Ordained as a priest. As on the preceding occasions, he received Holy Orders from the hands of Archbishop Metropolitan Adam Sapieha in his private chapel.
Nov 2, 1946: Celebrated his first Mass in the crypt of St. Leonard at Wavel.
Nov 15, 1946: Left Poland to begin studies in Rome.
Jun 19, 1946: Doctorate in philosophy.
July 8, 1948: Sent as assistant pastor to Niegowić near Gdów.
Dec 16, 1948: Doctorate in sacred theology at the Jagellonian University with highest marks.
1950: Started his publications.
Set 1, 1951: Archbishop Baziak puts him on leave (until 1953) to complete his qualifying exams for a university position. Up until now he served as a chaplain to the university students (in St. Florian's) and for health workers.
Dec 1, 1956: Appointed to the Chair of Ethics at the Catholic University of Lublin.
July 4, 1958: Appointed Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Mons. Eugeniusz Baziak of Kraków.
Sep 28, 1958: Ordained as Bishop in the Cathedral of Wavel.
July 16, 1962: After the death of Archbishop Baziak, named Vicar Capitular.
Dec 30, 1963: Designated Metropolitan Bishop of Kraków.
Jan 13, 1964: Papal Bull for the appointment of Archbishop of Kraków.
Dec 29, 1966: Episcopal Commission for the Apostolate of the Laity is established; Archbishop Wojtyła is made President.
May 29, 1967: Pope Paul VI announces the next Consistory. Among the names of the new Cardinals elect is that of Karol Wojtyła.
Sep 29 to Oct 29, 1967: First General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Cardinal Wojtyła does not attend as a sign of solidarity with the Primate, who was not granted a passport.
Oct 5, 1971: Elected to the Council of the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.
June 23, 1977: Doctorate "honoris causa" from Johannes Guttenberg University, Mainz.
Oct 16, 1978: Cardinal Karol Wojtyła is elected as 264th Pope at 5.15 pm. He is the 263rd Successor of St. Peter.
PONTIFICATE
1978
Oct 16: Cardinal Karol Wojtyła is elected successor to Pope John Paul I, the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church and takes the name John Paul II .
Oct 22: Solemn inauguration of his ministry as Universal Pastor of the Church.
Oct 23: Historic embrace of Cardinal Wyszyński .
Oct 25: First visit to Castelgandolfo: visit to the parish church and papal villa.
Oct 29: Visit to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella, Rome.
Nov 5: Visit to Assisi to venerate the tomb of St. Francis, patron of Italy, and to the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva to venerate the tomb of St. Catherine, patroness of Italy.
Nov 12: As Bishop of Rome, John Paul II takes possession of St. John Lateran Basilica.
Dec 5: First visit to the parishes in the diocese of Rome: S. Francesco Saverio at Garbatella.
1979
Jan 24: Accepts the request made by Argentina and Chile for the Holy See’s mediation in solving the controversy between the two countries.
Apr 28: Archbishop Agostino Casaroli is appointed Pro-Secretary of State and Pro-prefect of the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church.
Jun 2: Historic homily at Victory Square in Warsaw.
Jun 30: Celebration of the First Consistory in his pontificate for the creation of 14 Cardinals, among whom were Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, Secretary of State. (One additional Cardinal was reserved "in pectore" - Chinese Ignatius Kung Pin-mei, whose appointment was published only in the Consistory of 28 June 1991).
Oct 2: Addresses the General Assembly of the U.N. in New York.
1980
Apr 4: Hears confessions of the faithful for the first time in St. Peter's Basilica on Good Friday.
Jun 2: Addresses to UNESCO in Paris.
1981
May 13: At 5:19 p.m. a young turk Mehmet Alì Agca makes an attempt on the Pope's life while he was circling St. Peter's Square before his General Audience. Severly, wounded, the Pope was operated on for 6 hours at Gemelli hospital.
May 17: John Paul II recites the Angelus at Gemelli hospital: "Pray for the brother who shot me, whom I have sincerely forgiven".
Jun 3: Returns to the Vatican after 22 days of recovery at Gemelli Hospital.
Jun 7: At the end of a mass celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the first Council of Constantinople and the 1550th anniversary of the Council of Ephesus, the Pope imparts the Apostolic Blessing in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Jun 20: Newly hospitalized for a cytomegalovirus infection. On 5 August he undergoes a second operation. He returns to the Vatican on the 14th of August and from there goes to Castelgandolfo on August 16th.
Nov 25: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Dec 12: Sends a delegation from the Pontifical Academy of Sciences to the Presidents of the USA, USSR, Great Britain, France, and the UN, to present thier scientific document on the consequences of an eventual use of nuclear arms in Europe and in the world.
1982
May 29: Joint statement of John Paul II and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie , at the end of the ecumenical celebration in the Anglican Canterbury Cathedral.
Jun 15: Speech at the 68th Session of the International Workers Conference in Geneva.
Oct 10: Canonization of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe . Present at the canonization ceremony was Mr. Franciszek Gajownizek, the man for whom Fr. Maximilian offered his life in the concentration camp at Auschwitz.
1983
Feb 2: Second Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 18 cardinals.
Nov 5: Letter for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther.
Dec 11: Meeting with the Evangelic-Lutheran community in Rome.
Dec 27: Visit to the Rebibbia prison and meeting with Alì Agca , the Turk who made an attempt on the life of John Paul II on 13 May 1981.
1984
Apr 9: Additional appointments to the Roman Curia: broad renovation of responsibilities of dicasteries and commissions.
1985
May 25: Third Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 28 new Cardinals.
Nov 25: Second Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on: "The Twentieth Anniversary of the Conclusion of the Second Vatican Council" (Nov 25 - Dec 8).
1986
Jan 31 to Feb 10: Pastoral Visit in India. Celebrated the beatification of the Venerable Father Kuriakos Elias Chavara and of the Venerable Sister Alphonsa of the Syro Malabar Church of India during his visit.
Oct 27: Attends the First World Day of Prayer for Peace which he convoked in Assisi.
1987
Mep 17: Meets with AIDS patients at "Mission Dolores Basilica" and embraces a little boy called Brendan in San Francisco, USA.
Dec 3: His Holiness Dimitrios, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, visits John Paul II (Dec 3-7). Signing of joint declaration.
1988
Mar 3: For the first time, the financial report of the Holy See (for the year 1986) is published.
Mar 21: Inauguration of the Dono di Maria shelter in the Vatican, entrusted to Mother Teresa's Missionary Sisters of Charity.
Jun 28: Fourth Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 24 new Cardinals.
1989
Sep 7: Appeal to the followers of Islam in favor of Lebanon.
Dec 21: New appointment of bishops in Czechoslovakia.
1990
Mar 15: Exchange of official representatives at the level of the apostolic nuncio and special ambassador between the Holy See and the Soviet government.
Aug 26: During his Angelus message he makes an appeal for peace in the Persian Gulf, following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.
Nov 24: Ad limina visit of Vietnamese bishops: for the first time all bishops are present.
Dec 1: Accepts the resignation of the Cardinal Secretary of State Agostino Casaroli and appoints Archbishop Angelo Sodano Pro-Secretary of State.
Dec 25: Papal appeal for peace in the Gulf with the Christmas message Urbi et Orbi.
1991
Jan 15: Letters to the President of the United States, George Bush and to the President of Iraq, Sadam Hussein in an attempt to avert the Gulf War.
Jun 28: Fifth Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 22 new Cardinals and the announcement of the 1979 appointment "in pectore" of Cardinal Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei.
Oct 5: Ecumenical prayer service at St. Peter's Basilica, for the occasion of the 6th Centenary of the canonization of St. Brigit of Sweden. For the first time since the Reformation two Lutheran bishops prayed in St. Peter's Basilica with the Pope, together with the Catholic bishops of Stockholm and Helsinki.
1992
Jan 1: Holy See recognizes the Russian Federation.
Jan 13: Holy See recognizes Croatia and Slovenia.
Feb 13: Papal chirograph for the Indipendent Foundation Popolorum Progressio at the service of the indiginous peoples and the campesinos in Latin America, established on the occasion of the 5th centenary of the evangelization of Latin America.
May 17: Beatification of José Maria Escrivá de Balaguer , the founder of Opus Dei, and of Giuseppina Bakhita of Sudan.
Jul 12: At the Angelus John Paul II announces to the faithful that he will go to Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital that evening for diagnostic tests. On July 15, the Holy Father undergoes surgery to remove a benign intestinal tumor. John Paul II is released from Gemelli Polyclinic on 26 July.
Dec. 25: Bishops of Albania appointed.
1993
May 9: During the pastoral visit in Sicily, in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, appeal to men of the mafia to convert.
Nov 11: The Holy Father dislocates his right shoulder during a fall at the end of an audience in the Hall of Benediction. He spent one day at Gemelli Hospital; his shoulder is immobilized for one month.
Dec 30: At Jerusalem, signing of an agreement on some basic principles regulating relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel .
1994
Mar 19: Letter to heads of states around the world and to the Secretary General of the United Nations on the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, held in September 1994.
Apr 7: Concert held in the Vatican for the commemoration of the Shoah, in the presence of John Paul II and Chief Rabbi of Rome, Elio Toaff.
Apr 29: Following an accidental fall on the evening of 28 April 1994, which caused a fracture of the right femur, the Holy Father is recovered at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital and undergoes an operation. Released from hospital on 27 May 1994.
Nov 26: Sixth Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 30 new cardinals.
1995
May 8: Message on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Jun 11: Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe.
Jun 27: Visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartolomeo I (Jun 27-30). Joint declaration signed on 29 June 1995.
Sep 4: Mary Ann Glendon, appointed by John Paul II as the first woman to head a Holy See delegation, addresses the 4th UN Conference on Women in Beijing (Sep 4 to 15, 1995).
Sep 14: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa - on the Church in Africa and its Evangelizing Mission towards the Year 2000, signed by the Holy Father in the Apostolic Nunciature of Yaoundé (the first time such an important document is signed outside the Vatican).
Oct 5: Addresses the UN General Assembly, commemorates UN's 50th anniversary.
1996
Oct 6: Recovered at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospitial to undergo the scheduled surgical procedure of an appendectomy. The extemporaneous histological examination showed a transmural appendicitis with evidence of fibrosis established from preceding inflammatory episodes. The morphological finding is indicative of recidivist appendicitis. Operated on 8 October in the morning. Released from hospital 15 October.
Nov 1: Celebrates Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination with the diocese of Rome.
Nov 13: Addresses the opening of the UN World Food Summit organized by FAO (UN Food and Agricultural Organization) in Rome.
Nov 15: Presentation of the Holy Father’s book entitled Gift and Mystery - on the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination.
Nov 30: Presides over the first vespers celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica on the solemn occasion of the beginning of the three year preparation for the Great Jubilee Year of 2000 - Announcement of the Holy Door opening for 24 December 1999.
Dec 3: Visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Anglican Communion, Dr. George Leonard Carey to the Holy Father and the Church of Rome. Signing of the joint Declaration (3-6 December 1996).
Dec 10: Receives the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenian’s, His Holiness Karekin I. Signing of the joint Declaration (10-14).
Dec 19: Receives in audience the President of PLO and the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat.
1997
Jan 23: Visit by His Holiness Aram I Keshishian, Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenians, to the Holy Father and the Church of Rome. Signing of joint Declaration (23-26).
May 4: Beatification of five servants of God in St. Peter’s Square including the first Gypsy Ceferino Giménez Malla killed during the Spanish Civil War of 1936.
Jun 16: Letters written by John Paul II to Benjamin Netanyahu , Prime Minister of Israel and to Yasser Arafat , President of the Palestinian Authority, for the Middle East peace process.
Jun 24: Letter on Religious Freedom to the President of the Russian Federation, Boris N. Yeltsin.
Oct 19: In St. Peter’s Square a solemn proclamation of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, Doctor of the Church - 33rd Doctor of the Church and 3rd women after St. Theresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Siena.
1998
Feb 21: Seventh Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 20 new Cardinals (plus two Cardinals in pectore: Marian Jawarski e Jānis Pujats, who will be published in the Consistory of 21 February 2001).
Mar 15: Beatification of Bishop Eugenio Bossilkov, first martyr against communist persecution raised to the honour of the altars.
Apr 19: Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops opens with the theme: " Jesus Christ the Saviour and his Mission of Love and Service in Asia: ... 'that they may have life and have it abundantly' " (19 April-14 May 1998). During the solemn opening of the Synod, the Pope announces his invitation to two Bishops from mainland China to attend (permission to leave China was denied).
Oct 11: Canonization of Bl. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, martyr.
Oct 18: Celebrates his 20th Anniversary of Pontificate and 40th Anniversary of Episcopal Ministry (St. Peter’s Square).
1999
May 2: Beatification of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina in St. Peter’s Square (Homily). At the end of the ceremony, the Pope went to the Square of St. John in Lateran by helicopter to recite the Regina Caeli with those faithful who, due to such a crowd, were unable to enter into St. Peter’s Square.
May 8: In Bucharest, Romania, he met with His Beatitude Teoctist, patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and with the Holy Synod. At the end of the meeting, the Pope and Patriarch Teoctist sign a joint declaration for peace in Kosovo.
May 12: The document The Gift of Authority, produced by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, ARCIC.
Oct 1: Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio Spes Aedificandi - proclaiming Saint Bridget of Sweden, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Co-Patronesses of Europe.
Oct 28: In St. Peter’s Square, the closing of the Inter-religious assembly "On the threshold of the III millennium: collaboration among the different religions".
Oct 31: Prior to praying the Angelus, the Pope expresses his thanks for the signing today in Augsburg, Germany, by the Catholic Church and the World Lutheran Federation of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification; Official Common Statement by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church; Annex to the Official Common Statement.
Nov 5: Pastoral Visit in New Delhi (India) for the Conclusion of the Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops and in Georgia.
Nov 6: Signing - in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi - of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia.
Dec 31: World-wide television coverage of the Holy Father’s message and Urbi et Orbi blessing for the passage into the Year 2000.
2000
Jan 2: Children’s Jubilee . At the close of the event, the Pope was awarded the John XXIII International Peace Prize to the non-governmental organization "ATD - Aide a toute detresse - Quart Monde".
Jan 18: Opening of the Holy Door of the patriarchal basilica of St. Paul’s Outside-the Walls and ecumenical celebration with the representatives of various Churches and ecclesial communities on the occasion of the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Feb 22: In the Paul VI Hall, Commemoration of Abraham "Our Father in the Faith" , as the first gesture of his jubilee pilgrimage to the places linked with the history of salvation.
Mar 12: The Day of Pardon of the Holy Year 2000 celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica - cfr. Document Memory and Reconciliation: The Church and the Faults of the Past, prepared by the International Theological Commission. (7 March 2000).
Apr 30: First canonization of the Jubilee Year: the Pope canonized Polish Blessed Maria Faustyna Kowalska (1905-1938), virgin of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.
May 13: At the end of the Beatification ceremony at Fatima of Francesco and Giacinta Marto, Cardinal Angelo Sodano announced that the "third part" of the secret of Fatima will be made public. The Message of Fatima will be published in its entirety on 26 June 2000.
May 21: Canonization of 27 Blesseds, among which were 25 Mexican martyrs.
Jun 13: John Paul II expresses his satisfaction for the clemency granted to Alì Agca by the President of Italy during this jubilee year.
Jun 15: John Paul II lunches with 200 poor and homeless people to celebrate the Jubilee.
Jul 9: Visit to the Roman prison Regina Coeli to celebrate the Jubilee in Prisons.
Aug 20: Celebration of the 15th World Youth Day : more than 2 million young people were present at the Campus of Tor Vergata (Rome) for the Jubilee with the Pope.
Sep 3: Beatification of 5 Servants of God, among which were Pope Pius IX and Pope John XXIII.
Oct 1: Canonization of 123 Blesseds, among which were 120 Martyrs in China.
Nov 8: His Holiness Karekin II , Catholicos of All Armenians visits the Holy Father and the Church of Rome – Signing of the joint communiqué.
Dec 24-25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord in the Year of the Great Jubilee. The Holy Father celebrated both the midnight Mass - and traditional Christmas Urbi et Orbi message for the first time ever in St. Peter's Square.
2001
Jan 25: Ecumenical celebration in the Basilica of Saint Paul's Outside-the-Walls, marking the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Feb 18: Divine Liturgy in the Armenian rite celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Baptism of the Armenian People. For the occasion, on 2 February 2001 the Holy Father signed the Apostolic Letter Dio meraviglioso.
Feb 21: Eighth Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 42 new Cardinals and the publication of 2 Cardinals in pectore since 1998.
Mar 11: Beatification of 233 Servants of God, martyrs in Spain from 1936 to 1939.
Aug 1: 1000th General Audience of the Pontificate of John Paul II.
Oct 20: First Beatification of a married couple: Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini.
Nov 18: Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September and during the war in Afghanistan, the Pope before praying the Angelus, invited Catholics to a day of fasting for peace ( 14 December 2001 ) and invited leaders of the world's religions to a Day of Prayer for Peace in the World in Assisi (24 January 2002) .
Dec 16: 300th Pastoral Visit of John Paul II to a parish within the diocese of Rome (which total 334).
2002
Jan 24: Day of Prayer for Peace in the World at Assisi, with members of Churches and ecclesial communities and with representatives of other religions.
Apr 7: Day of Prayer for Peace in the Holy Land, called by Pope John Paul II on Divine Mercy Sunday, as the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem was under siege. On 15 April, Pope John Paul II telephoned the Franciscan friars at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, expressing his solidarity with them and thanking them for their "Christian witness". On 1 May, the Holy Father sent Cardinal Roger Etchegaray in special Mission to Jerusalem.
Jun 16: Canonization of Blessed Pio de Pietrelcina.
Oct 4: Ecumenical celebration of Vespers in the Vatican Basilica, in occasion of the VII Centenary of the birth of Saint Brigit of Sweden, Co-patron of Europe.
Oct 6: Canonization of Blessed Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer.
Oct 7: Pope John Paul II met with His Beatitude Teoctist, the Orthodox patriarch of Romania, who has been on a visit to the Church of Rome and to the Pope. During the meeting, they exchanged speeches and signed a joint declaration. (7-13).
Oct 16: Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae on the Most Holy Rosary. The Pope introduces the "mysteries of light" and proclaims a Year of the Rosary (October 2002-0ctober 2003) - The beginning of the 25th year of Pontificate.
Oct 31: An honorary citizenship of Rome is conferred on Pope John Paul II.
2003
Mar 5: In occasion of Ash Wednesday, day of fasting for the cause of peace, above all in the Middle East. During these weeks, the Pope meets numerous authorities and makes pressing appeals to avoid the danger of war in Iraq. The Holy Father names Cardinal Roger Etchegaray as his Special Envoy to the Iraqi Authorities in Iraq (10 February) and Cardinal Pio Laghi to the President of the United States of America in Washington (l March).
May 17: The Pope receives doctorate honoris causa in jurisprudence from "La Sapienza" University of Rome.
Oct 2: Visit of Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and primate of the Anglican Communion (2-5).
Oct 16: XXV Anniversary of the Pontificate of His Holiness John Paul II. The signing and promulgation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Gregis.
Oct 19: Beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in India.
Oct 21: Ninth Consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 31 new Cardinals, including one “in pectore”.
2004
Mar 24: Conferred the International Charlemagne Prize, a prestigious award given annually by the city of Aachen, Germany, in recognition“ of the Pope’s personal commitment, and that of the Holy See, in favor of unity among the peoples of Europe on the basis of the values rooted in the common human nature and efficaciously promoted by Christianity”.
May 18: Publication of the book of John Paul II, Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way.
Aug 28: The delivery, by a delegation of the Holy See, of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God to Patriarch Aleskij II, as a gift by the Holy Father to the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian people.
Oct 17: Opening of the Year of the Eucharist, via television linkup with Guadalajara (Mexico), where the 48th International Eucharist Congress was being celebrated.
Nov 27: Delivery of the Relics of the Saints John Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I.
2005
Feb 23: Publication of the book of John Paul II, Memory and Identity.
Apr 2: Entered into Eternity.
Apr 8: Buried.
From the date of election as the Pope (16th October, 1978) to the date of death (2nd April, 2005), John Paul II was completed 26 years, 5 months and 23 days or to say 9,665 days. (From the date of solemn beginning (22nd October, 1978) he was completed 9,659 days as the Pope).
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