Pope John Paul the GreatPrint Page 
The statue commemorates Pope John Paul the Great. It was donated to St Mary's Cathedral by the Italian - Australian Community and donors in 2008, the year of the 23rd World Youth Day.
John Paul II sometimes called Blessed John Paul or John Paul the Great (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the second-longest serving Pope in history and the first non-Italian since 1523.
A very charismatic figure, John Paul II was acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. He is credited with helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He was one of the most-travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate.
On 19 December 2009, John Paul II was proclaimed venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI and was beatified on 1 May 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed one miracle to him, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson's disease.
Location
| Address: | College Street, St Mary`s Cathedral , Sydney, 2000 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.871718 Long: 151.21383 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
| Artist: | Fiorenzo Bacci |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 19th April, 2008 |
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The statue of Pope John Paul the Great by the sculptor Fiorenzo Bacci was donated to Saint Mary's Cathedral by the Italian - Australian community of Sydney and generous donors led by Italo Mazzola in the year of the 23rd World Youth Day on 19 April 2008.
