St. Pope John Paul II Archives

40 years later, memories of assassination attempt on John Paul II still vivid

May 13, 2021

May 13, 1981 was a busy day – like any other – for St. John Paul II. The Institute for Marriage and Family has been established, and the pontiff had received French doctor and geneticist Jerome Lejeune.

By Paulina Guzik

Cardinal Dziwisz defends himself in wake of McCarrick report

Nov 11, 2020

One of the McCarrick report’s few living protagonists is Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, John Paul’s longtime personal secretary, who was mentioned 45 times in the document.

By Paulina Guzik

U.S. Church leaders point to clericalism as reason for rise of McCarrick

Nov 11, 2020

Prominent leaders of the Catholic Church in America point to a “culture of clericalism” that led to laicized ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick rising through the ranks of the church despite decades-long accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse.

By John Lavenburg

Francis trusted John Paul and Benedict on McCarrick, report says

Nov 10, 2020

“Believing that the allegations had already been reviewed and rejected by Pope John Paul II, and well aware that McCarrick was active during the papacy of Benedict XVI, Pope Francis did not see the need to alter the approach that had been adopted in prior years,” the report states.

By Elise Ann Allen

A reader’s guide to McCarrick report: Beware of bad guys, smoking guns

Nov 10, 2020

Thinking in terms of bad guys and smoking guns is often a prescription for over-simplifying a more complicated story.

By John L. Allen Jr.

Celebrating St. John Paul II in photos

Oct 17, 2020

A few steps from the Vatican, on the 42nd anniversary of the election of St. John Paul II, a small exhibit opened to celebrate the Polish-born pope, but also a father-daughter team of photographers who helped document his pontificate.

By Catholic News Service

Sculpture of John Paul II with rock, red water makes waves

Sep 25, 2020

A new statue that depicts the late pope St. John Paul II throwing a boulder into red water has provoked debate in his native Poland and revived memories of a 1999 Italian sculpture that showed him crushed under a meteorite, to which the new work was intended as a counter-statement.

By Monika Scislowska