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Online tribute to Polish-born pope

14.05.2020 10:15
A special website has been created to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the birth of John Paul II, the late Polish-born pope who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005 and was declared a saint in 2014.
Pope John Paul II, pictured in January 2004.
Pope John Paul II, pictured in January 2004. Photo: PAP/EPA (MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI)

The JP2online.pl website, launched by The Centre for the Thought of John Paul II, a Warsaw-based cultural institution, offers multimedia, photographs, films, documents and articles about the late pontiff.

All these will be officially available to internet users from May 18, exactly 100 years after Karol Wojtyła, who went on to become St. John Paul II, was born in the southern Polish town of Wadowice.

“The collection will contain thousands of materials about the pope and his teachings," the centre’s Anna Olesiak said.

The new website, available in Polish and English, will include sound files shared by public broadcaster Polish Radio.

John Paul II was born on May 18, 1920. He served as pope from October 16, 1978 until his death on April 2, 2005.

He was the third longest-serving pontiff in history and was declared a saint in 2014.

The pope was a strong supporter of Poland's anti-communist Solidarity movement and is recognised as a key influence in helping to end communist rule in Poland in 1989.

Recently unearthed documents show that Pope John Paul II was seen as the main enemy of Poland’s communist-era rulers, according to a report.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR