Giovanni Paolo II

Giovanni Paolo II 

that's Italian for John Paul II.

Saint John Paul II held the papacy for a whopping 26 years, from October 16th, 1978 to April 2nd, 2005. During that time he published 14 encyclicals, started World Youth Day, led the Church through a special jubilee for the year 2000, visited 129 countries, canonized 483 saints, instituted Divine Mercy Sunday, added the Luminous Mysteries to the rosary, and much more.

During his life and his pontificate, Pope John Paul II reached many, both Catholic and non-Catholic, with the depth of his insight into the human spirit. As we remember him today on what would have been his 97th birthday, we remember the words from his first homily as Pope.

Saint Pope John Paul II was a true example of God's love and mercy. One of his best remembered pictures is the one that appeared on the cover of #Time magazine in 1983 featuring him with Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who had tried to assassinate him two years earlier. 

Each of us is special in the eyes of God, who has made us in His own image and likeness. 

How should we live our life?

All of us are called to be saints...

Some years ago, I came across this CD paying tribute to Pope John Paul II featuring the song up above. 

Here's another beautiful song from Pope John Paul II-The Tribute Album - On Eagle's Wings (Michael Crawford).