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Pope St. John Paul II

Pope John Paul II. / Credit: Gregorini Demetrio, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

How St. John Paul II Helped Bring Down the Berlin Wall: 35 Years Later

Nov 9, 2024

“I am absolutely convinced that without Pope John Paul II, German reunification would not have been possible,” Martin Rothweiler told CNA Deutsch.

Entrance to the "Mother Teresa: Life, Spirituality and Message" exhibit at the St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Courtesy of the St. John Paul II National Shrine and Mother Teresa Center

"Mother Teresa: Life, Spirituality, and Message" Exhibit Opens at St. John Paul II Shrine

Sep 5, 2024

A temporary exhibit is now open at the St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C., of many of Mother Teresa’s personal items, including a first-class relic.

St. Paul VI. / Credit: Catholic News Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Five Keys to Better Understand the Encyclical Humanae Vitae

Jul 25, 2024

At the time the encyclical was rejected by many even within the Catholic Church.

Pope John Paul II in 1996. | Vatican Media

15 Quotes from St. John Paul II on His Love for the Eucharist

Oct 22, 2023

Catholics worldwide remember St. John Paul II on his feast day, Oct. 22. His “secret” to life and all that he did, he said, was the Eucharist.

A large statue of St. John Paul II at the entrance of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where Pope Francis is recovering from surgery he underwent on June 7, 2023. | Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Pope Francis is Recovering in Same Hospital Room where John Paul II was Treated

Jun 8, 2023

Pope Francis is recovering from abdominal surgery this week in the same hospital room where St. John Paul II was treated throughout his pontificate.

Pope Francis meets members of the Papal Foundation in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall, April 28, 2022. | Vatican Media.

Papal Foundation Visits Rome, Marks 35 Years and $200 Million in Donations to the Poor

Apr 19, 2023

The Papal Foundation, a U.S.-based organization that provides funding for Catholic projects around the world, is in Rome this week for its annual pilgrimage and meeting with Pope Francis.

Original painting of the Divine Mercy, by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934. Wikimedia Commons 4.0.

Divine Mercy Sunday 2023: Here’s How to Obtain a Plenary Indulgence

Apr 15, 2023

What do a certain Polish nun and a certain Polish pope have in common? They both became saints and they were both instrumental in the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday, which offers many graces to the faithful. 

Pope St. John Paul II in 1979. | L'Osservatore Romano

In Poland, Lawmakers Condemn Disputed Report about John Paul II Abuse Cover-up

Mar 10, 2023

Polish lawmakers denounced a documentary alleging that when he was a cardinal and archbishop in Poland, Pope St. John Paul II covered up alleged child sexual abuse committed by priests.

The coffin of Pope Benedict XVI is prepared for interment in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 5, 2023. | Vatican Media

Benedict XVI to be Buried in First Tomb of Pope John Paul II

Jan 2, 2023

Benedict XVI will be interred in the Vatican crypt in the same spot where Pope John Paul II was buried before his beatification.

St. John Paul II, circa 1992. | L'Osservatore Romano.

Journalists Contradict Allegations of "cover up" Against John Paul II Before He was Pope

Dec 7, 2022

Journalists investigating secular and Catholic Church sources in Poland have called into question allegations by a Dutch writer that St. John Paul II “covered up” sexual abuse while still a bishop in Poland.

St. John Paul II’s "dark night" in Nicaragua

Aug 27, 2022

When then Pope John Paul II’s plane landed in Nicaragua on March 4, 1983, the authorities were waiting, including Daniel Ortega, who with his wife, Rosario Murillo, now lead the country’s current dictatorship.

St. John Paul II in 1978. Vatican Media.

St. John Paul II and Blessed Carlo Acutis Named among Patrons of World Youth Day 2023

May 18, 2022

The Virgin Mary will be the “patroness par excellence” of the youth gathering.

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"I pray to John Paul II": How Ukrainian Refugee Found Shelter at Pope’s Former Residence

Mar 23, 2022

‘Through the intercession of St. John Paul II, God led us to this residence,’ said Eleanor Petritschenko.

The Bishop’s Palace in Kraków, southern Poland. Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

St. John Paul II’s Former Residence in Poland Opens Doors to Ukrainian Refugees

Mar 9, 2022

Almost 1.3 million Ukrainians have sought refuge in Poland.

Pope John Paul II circa 1991. null

Five Ways Saint Pope John Paul II Changed the Catholic Church Forever

Oct 22, 2021

You probably know that St. Pope John Paul II was the second longest-serving pope in modern history with 27 years of pontificate, and he was the first non-Italian pontiff since the Dutch Pope Adrian VI in 1523. But did you know that he changed the Catholic Church forever during those 27 years?  Here are five reasons why: