FACTS ABOUT St. John Paul II (1920 – 2005)

• St. John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since 1523.
• He was elected in 1978.
• He strongly defended human dignity and rights, speaking out against oppression, war, and social injustices.
• He was instrumental in the fall of communism, particularly in Poland.
• In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt and later forgave the man who shot him.
• He canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people.
• During his papacy, he visited 129 countries.
• He died on April 2, 2005. Divine Mercy Sunday was the following day and the message that he wrote for it was read at his funeral.