Pope John Paul II was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third-longest-serving pope in history, after St. Peter and Pius IX. In addition to this, he was an important philosopher and theologian of the 20th century.
Key Facts
| Subject | Pope John Paul II |
| Category | Head of the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005 |
| Reading time | 1 min · Intermediate |
| Key date | 1978 |
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