The death of John Paul II, protagonist of one of the longest pontificates and one of the most popular popes in the recent history of the Catholic Church, turned 19 this Tuesday (2).
The date was remembered by the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who stated that the religious “promoted interreligious dialogue, entered people’s hearts with his humanity and brought many young people closer to faith.”
“A great Pope and a Saint, but also a statesman. I always carry in my heart the teachings he left us, with his work, his gestures and his words. An immense and unforgettable figure”, he wrote.
The Polish Karol Wojtyla sat on the Throne of Peter between October 1978 and April 2005, in a pontificate that lasted 26 and a half years, the third longest in history.
The former leader of the Catholic Church will be remembered at a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican, on April 27. The ceremony will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of his canonization.
John Paul II was a charismatic but morally conservative figure, and died at the age of 84, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Among the hallmarks of his pontificate are the campaign against the Cold War, the apology for the crimes of the Inquisition and the defense of civil liberties. On the other hand, he maintained a hard line against abortion, contraceptive methods, assisted reproduction and the LGBTQIA + community. .
