Pope John Paul II is assisted by his personal secretary Msgr. Stanislaw Dziwisz as he slumps in an open Fiat jeep on May 13, 1981 after he was shot and nearly killed by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano) ...read more

Pope John Paul II visits Uganda in February 1993. (CNS photo from L’Osservatore Romano, Arturo Mari) ...read more

Pope John Paul II kisses the hand of the child Jesus on a statue of Mary during a celebration in Cuzco, Peru, Feb. 3, 1985. (CNS photo/Catholic Press Photo) ...read more

Pope John Paul II greets the World Youth Day crowd in Czestochowa, Poland, in 1992. An estimated 1.5 million people from 80 countries attended the third international World Youth Day. (CNS file photo)  ...read more

Pope John Paul II greets Mother Teresa of Calcutta at the Vatican in an undated file photo. Mother Teresa, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity was beatified by Pope John Paul in 2003. (CNS photo) ...read more

Father Karol Wojtyla is pictured next to bicycles during an outing in Poland in the early 1950s. His strong interest in outdoor activities continued through his years as Pope John Paul II, until the effects of age kept him away from strenuous pursuits.  Pope John Paul together with Pope John XXIII will be declared saints ...read more

Above is the video of Pope Francis’ homily from Friday’s Penitential Service, with Vatican Radio translation. ...read more

Pope John Paul II appears from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election Oct. 16, 1978. The pope, who died April 2, 2005, will be canonized at the Vatican April 27, 2014.(CNS file photo)  ...read more

Your Holiness, One year ago today, the Bishops of Canada along with all the faithful of our great land saw you appear for the first time on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The simplicity of your manner and your words, the humility with which you invited us to pray for you, and ...read more

Special Mass of Thanksgiving on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. His Eminence, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, is the principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Apostolic Nuncio to the ...read more