Pope John Paul II - The Pilgrim Pope

Travel Notes: Travel-Write: General Travel Articles: Farewell Pope John Paul

World traveller, His Holiness Pope John Paul II makes his final journey and we'd like to wish him Bon Voyage. While we can't join him on this final leg of his earthly trip, we can look back at the parts of the world he touched.

Pope John Paul II - World Traveller

Ioannes Paulus PP. II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla (in Wadowice, Poland) on 18th May, 1920; became the 264th Pope (263rd successor to Peter) on 16th October, 1978; and passed away in his private apartment in The Vatican, at 9:37pm on Saturday April 2nd, 2005.

John Paul II was a very modern Pope, waving and smiling at crowds wherever he travelled and very conscious of the role the media could play in helping the Pontiff spread His message. Pope John Paul II, the traveller, clocked up some 1.2 million kilometres in Holy Pilgrimage.

As head of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II made 104 pastoral visits to 129 countries and 146 pastoral visits within Italy. The Pope also met countless world leaders in The Vatican.

Pope John Paul II Published Five Books

Memory and Identity: Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium -- by Pope John Paul II

Crossing the Threshold of Hope:
(October 1994)

Gift and Mystery:
On the 50th Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination (November 1996)

The Poetry of Pope John Paul II:
Roman Triptych - Meditations (March 2003)

Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way:
(May 2004)

Memory and Identity:
(October 2005).

Pope John Paul II's Travels in 1978

Newly elected Pope John Paul II raised his arms to greet the crowd, from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, in Vatican City on Oct. 16th, 1978.

Pope John Paul II spent his first papal months getting to know his surroundings, visiting the parish church and papal villa at Castelgandolfo, on October 25th.

Castel Gandolfo, a small fiefdom of the Savelli, situated on high ground above the Lake of Albano, became a direct possession of the Pope's towards the end of the XVIth century; Pope Urbanus VIII selecting it as the papal summer residence.

Dormi in Economia:
If visiting the area yourself, there's a cosy bed and breakfast 2km from Castel Gandolfo and close to Albano Lake (1km).

Pope John Paul's first pilgrimage was to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella, Rome - on October 29th.

He then visited Assisi, on November 5th; to venerate the tomb of St. Francis, patron of Italy, and to the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva; to venerate the tomb of St. Catherine, patroness of Italy.

Assisi, Italy: Michel - Travel Notes