20 years ago, Pope John Paul II died

On Wednesday, 20 years have passed since the death of Saint John Paul II. The Pope died at the age of 84 after two months of health crises. According to the “Rzeczpospolita” survey, he is still an important figure and authority for most Poles.

John Paul II He was a pope for 26 years. He was elected on October 16, 1978, after the death of John Paul I, who died after 33 days of the pontificate. His choice and the pontificate had a special impact on democratic changes in Poland and other communist countries. He also contributed to the improvement of the Catholic Church's relationship with Jews, Muslims, Orthodox and Protestants.

He made a total of 104 trips abroad. For comparison – his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, during his eight -year pontificate made such travels 24, while Pope Francis Until 2024, he visited a total of 61 countries during 45 foreign travels.

The goal of John Paul II's first trip were three countries of Central America. In January 1979 he went to Dominican Republic, Mexico and Bahama islands. The goal of the last, 104. Pilgrimage of John Paul II, was France.

He visited 132 countries (some several times) and about 900 cities. During all foreign trips, John Paul II traveled over 1,700,000 km, which corresponds to over 42 times lap of the Earth around the equator or almost 4.5-time medium distance between Earth and the Moon.

Poland is a country that the Pope has visited most – nine times. He visited the US and France seven times. Mexico and Spain – 5 times. During foreign travels, John Paul II gave over 2,400 speeches.

Health problems

February 1, 2005 The pope was taken to gemella polyclinic with laryngitis and tracheitis as a result of influenza infection, as he explained then Vatican. He had respiratory failure and fever. Already after a few days of John Paul II's stay in the hospital began not only in the media, but also among some church hierarchs speculation, or because of the deteriorating health, he can resign.

February 10 He returned to the Vatican, and the passage of his panoramic car from Policlini Gemelli to the Apostolic Palace was broadcast by television stations. Italian newspapers then wrote about a “triumphant return”. However, there were also reports in “Corriere della Sera” that John Paul II actually “escaped from the hospital”, contrary to the doctors' recommendations.

February 24 The Pope, expected on the consistory regarding planned canonization, did not appear on him and came to the Roman clinic again. As a reason for re -hospitalization, the Vatican spokesman gave a recurrence of flu. Shortly afterwards, information about “heavy respiratory crisis” appeared. For this reason, an urgent tracheotomy was performed.

Meanwhile, the Vatican assured that his condition was stable, breathes independently, “he ate breakfast with appetite”, and rehabilitation takes place without complications. John Paul II's colleagues told journalists that he would not be able to speak only for a few days after the surgery, and then his larynx would start functioning normally.

March 6 In the southern time of prayer, the angel of the Lord John Paul II showed himself in the Gemelli polyclinic window. The text of the Pope was published, who thanked “for a lot of evidence of love.”

March 13 From the hospital window, the Pope spoke to the faithful for the first time and greeted them in a few words. In the evening, after 18 days of stay in the gemelli polyclinice, John Paul II returned to the Vatican, and blessed the faithful from the car on the hospital.

March 16when, in the traditional Wednesday general audience, the faithful came to St. Piotr, John Paul II appeared per minute in the window and gave them blessing.

On Palm Sunday March 20 The pope appeared again in the window of the Apostolic Palace, but he did not speak. Among the causes of silence, a strong emotion, a cough attack or trouble with a tracheotomic tube was mentioned. Even the day before, Cardinal Giovanni Battista RE assured that John Paul II was saying well and clearly.

Attentive observers noticed his gesture: he hit the empty desktop with his hand, where he usually kept cards with the text of the greetings. It was a sign of irritation or powerlessness – the Vaticanists assessed.

The next day, the media reported about rumors about the deterioration of health. All Vaticanists were put into the alarm, because dramatic information from the Apostolic Palace came to them.

March 23 The pope again appeared in the window at the general audience and was silent again. Holy Week celebrations went without John Paul II, and the cardinals from the Roman Curia chaired them.

Traditional Way of the Cross in the Colosseum March 25 For the first time it took place without the participation of the Pope. Tens of thousands of pilgrims saw John Paul II only on screens. The sick pope watched the celebrations through television sitting in his chapel in the Vatican. In his hands he held a large cross, which he rested his head. Papal greetings were read: “I am spiritually with you in the Colosseum – a place that raises many memories and emotions in me,” he wrote. He added: “I also offer my suffering to make God's plan fulfill, and his word would go between people. For my part I am close to all those who are currently experiencing suffering. I pray for each of them.”

The last blessing of the Pope

For the last time a very weakened Pope showed himself in the window on Easter Sunday, March 27. He was unable to speak, he blessed the faithful with his hand. Many of 80,000 The faithful in St. Piotr was crying. Cardinal Angelo Sodano read the text of the Easter message of the Pope.

On Easter Monday March 28 The window of the Apostolic Palace remained closed, and the program director of the Vatican Radio Father Federico Lombardi said: “Despite the inevitable regret, we are satisfied; it is good that the Pope continues recovery without fatigue.”

“Feeding of the pope has begun with a probe,” said spokesman Navarro -Valls, March 31. He also assured that John Paul II continued “slow and progressive recovery”.

At night with March 31 on April 1 Navarro-Valls said that a high fever appeared, and medical sources admitted the Italian agency Ansa that it is “very bad”.

April 1 The Vatican spokesman announced that the condition has worsened and is very hard; There was a blood infection and a cardiological crisis. “The will of the Holy Father was respected, who wanted to remain in his apartment” – explained Navarro -Valls. “The Pope goes out cheerfully,” said his friend, cardinal Andrzej Deskur.

Cardinals from around the world began to come to Rome, and thousands of faithful prayed in St. Peter's Square. Prayers began all over the world, and followers of other religions also led. In the following hours, the Vatican informed about further deterioration and damage to the main organs. In the evening it was known: there is no hope.

April 2 The Italian Catholic publicist and writer Vittorio Messori wrote in the daily “Corriere della Sera” that one of the first tasks of the new pope should be the beatification of John Paul II. In the evening, the condition was very severe.

John Paul II died April 2 at 21.37.

The funeral took place April 8and the celebrations were chaired by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. About 2 million people participated in the ceremony.

“Santo Subito”

The path of John Paul II was recognized as a sanctity The fastest in the modern history of the Church. The canonization process began quickly: on May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI during the ceremony in the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran announced that he agreed to the opening of the beatification process of John Paul II. This date was significant. He announced his decision on the anniversary of the assassination of the Pope in St. Peter's Square.

Thus, the German pope repealed the requirement of 5 years of waiting for the opening of the trial after the death of the candidate for the altar. Such a chosen less than a month earlier, the Pope responded to the slogans “Santo Subito” (saint immediately) appearing on the banners, brought by activists of Italian Catholic movements at the funeral ceremony of John Paul II, which he presided over.

On January 14, 2011, Benedict XVI agreed to announce a decree of recognition of a miracle through the intercession of John Paul II, which formally completed the beatification process. The beatification mass under the leadership of Benedict XVI took place on May 1, 2011. About a million faithful came to her, including over 100,000 Poles. Already that day, the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said in a television interview that the quick canonization of John Paul II should be expected.

The canonization took place under the leadership of Pope Francis on April 27, 2014, almost nine years from the moment the beatification of John Paul II began.

Unslawing authority

20 years after his death, John Paul II is an important figure and a reference point for young people. A large group of non -believers and people who define themselves as leftist – according to the Pope is considered to be authority – according to poll Ibris for “Rzeczpospolita”.

As we read in Wednesday's “Rz”, 72.3 percent of respondents answered “yes” to the question, “Is John Paul II an important figure and authority for you. There is 25.4 percent of the opposite opinion, and 2.3 percent answered:” It's hard to say “.

It was added that in the youngest group of respondents (between 18 and 29 years old), 66 percent of respondents declared that John Paul II is an important figure and authority for them. Similarly, people between 30 and 59 are also believed – 65-67 percent treat the pope. John Paul II enjoys the unflagging authority among people over 60 years and older ones – over 80 percent claims that the Pope is an important reference point for them.

The IBRIS study for “RZ” CATI was conducted on March 28-29 on a group of 1067 respondents.