VATICAN CITY, OCT 14, 1998 (VIS)
1978
October 16
October 17 October 22 October 23 October 25 October 29 November 5 November 12 December 5
1979
January 24 January 24 January 25 March 4 March 13 April 30 June 2 June 2 June 30 Sep. 29 October 2 John Paul II addresses the UN General Assembly in New York.
October 16 Post-Synodal Pastoral Exhortation "Catechesi Tradendae, "published October 25.
November 5 November 28 Fourth pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: to Turkey (November 28-30).
1980
Jan. 14 Opening of the Special Assembly for the Netherlands of the Synod of the Bishops on:
"The pastoral action of the Church in Holland in the present situation" (January 14-31).
April 4 May 2 May 30 June 2 June 21 June 30 Seventh foreign pastoral visit: Brazil (June 30-July 12).
August 8 Sep. 26 Fifth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme: "The Role of the
Christian Family in the Modern World."
September 28 October 17 November 15 November 25 November 30 December 19 December 30
1981
Feb. 2 Feb. 16 May 13 May 17 May 31 June 3 June 20 July 13 September 14 Nov. 13 November 22 November 25 December 12 December 13
1982
Jan. 6 Feb. 12 March 21 April 1 May 12 May 22 May 28 May 29 June 7 June 10 June 15 August 2 August 29 September 15 October 10 October 19 October 28 October 31 November 9 November 23 November 26
1983
Jan. 6 Papal Bull "Aperite Portas Redemptori," announcing the Jubilee for the 1950th anniversary
of the Redemption.
Jan. 25 John Paul II's Pastoral Constitution "Sacrae Disciplinae Leges," for the promulgation of
the new Code of Canon Law.
Jan. 25 Promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law by John Paul II.
Feb. 2 Second consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 18 cardinals.
Mar. 2 17th pastoral visit outside Italy: Lisbon, Portugal, and Central America - Costa Rica,
Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and Haiti (March 2-10).
Mar. 24 John Paul II accepts credentials of the ambassador from Sweden, re- establishing
diplomatic relations after 456 years.
Mar. 25 Opening of the Holy Year of the Redemption (March 25, 1983-April 22, 1984).
Mar. 25 The Shroud of Turin is bequeathed to the Pope by the deposed King Umberto, whose
family owned it since the Middle Ages.
June 16 18th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Poland (June 16-23).
July 8 Beatification of Fra Angelico.
Aug. 14 19th pastoral visit outside Italy: Lourdes, France (August 14-15).
Sep. 10 20th foreign pastoral visit: Austria (September 10-13).
Sep. 29 Sixth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on: "Penance and
Reconciliation in the Mission of the Church" (September 29-October 29). At the final session Pope discloses his message to the heads of government of the U.S.A. and USSR calling
for negotiations aimed at ending the arms race.
Oct. 16 Act of entrustment and consecration of the world to Our Lady of Fatima by John Paul II,
together with the cardinals and bishops participating in the Synod of Bishops.
Nov. 5 Letter for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther.
Nov. 24 Publication of the "Charter of Rights of the Family."
Dec. 11 First papal visit to a Lutheran congregation, participating in a prayer service at the evangelical Lutheran Church of Rome.
Dec. 27 Visit to Rebibbia prison and meeting with Ali Agca, the Turk who made an attempt on
his life on May 13, 1981.
1984
Jan. 10 Full diplomatic relations at the level of apostolic nunciature and embassy between the
Holy See and the United States of America.
Feb. 11 Pastoral Letter "Salvific Doloris" (On the Christian Meaning of Suffering).
Feb. 18 Agreement between the Holy See and the Italian Republic on the revision of the Lateran Concordat: new Concordat signed.
Feb. 22 John Paul II erects the Foundation for the Sahel.
Mar. 25 In spiritual union with all the bishops of the world John Paul II repeats the act of
entrustment of mankind and all peoples to Mary Most Holy, made at Fatima on May 13,
1982.
Mar. 25 Apostolic Exhortation "Redemptionis Donum," to all men and women religious,
published on March 29.
Apr. 9 Additional appointments to the Roman Curia: broad renovation of responsibilities of
dicasteries and commissions.
Apr. 20 Apostolic Letter "Redemptionis Anno" (on the City of Jerusalem, sacred patrimony of all believers and crossroads of peace for the peoples of the Middle East).
Apr. 22 Conclusion of the Holy Year of Redemption 1983/84.
May 2 21st pastoral visit outside Italy: Korea, Papua-New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and
Thailand (May 2-12).
May 5 Apostolic Letter "Les Grands Mysteres," on the problem of Lebanon.
May 21 Official visit of Italian President Sandro Pertini, to John Paul II.
June 2 Official visit of John Paul II to the president of Italy.
June 12 22nd pastoral visit outside Italy: Switzerland (June 12-17).
July 7 John Paul II denounces apartheid in South Africa.
July 16 Visit of John Paul II to the massif of Adamello and meeting with Italian President Pertini
(July 16-17).
Sep. 3 Publication of the Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Certain Aspects of Liberation Theology.
Sep. 9 23rd foreign pastoral visit: Canada (September 9-2).
Oct. 2 John Paul II tells the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that space belongs to all humanity
and that satellites and other space vehicles should be regulated by just international agreements.
Oct. 11 24th pastoral visit outside Italy: Zaragoza, Spain; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
and San Juan, Puerto Rico (October 10-13).
Nov. 2 46th Italian trip: northern Italy (Milan, Varese, Pavia, Varallo, Arona) for the 4th
centenary of the death of St. Charles Borromeo (November 2- 4).
Dec. 11 Publication of the Post-Synodal Pastoral Exhortation "Reconciliatio and Poenitentia."
1985
Jan. 26 25th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad-Tobago (January
26-February).
Feb. 11 John Paul II establishes Pontifical Commission for the Apostolate of Health Care
Workers.
Feb 19 Special audience with Israeli Prime Minister Simon Peres.
Feb. 27 Second official visit of USSR Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko.
Mar. 26 Apostolic Letter "To the Youth of the World" on the occasion of the United Nation's International Year of Youth.
Mar. 30 First International Youth Meeting in Rome (March 30-31).
Apr. 11 Pastoral visit of John Paul II to Loreto and meeting with Italian Bishops.
May 9 John Paul II declares venerable Fr. Junipero Serra (1713-1784, Franciscan missionary in California.
May 11 26th pastoral visit outside Italy: Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium (May 11-21).
May 25 Third consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 28 new cardinals.
June 2 Fourth papal Encyclical "Slavorum Apostoli," published on July 2.
July 7 Holy Mass in the Pauline Chapel of the Vatican for the people of Czechoslovakia, in remembrance of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
Aug. 8 27th pastoral visit outside Italy: Togo, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Republic of Central
Africa, Zaire, Kenya, Morocco (August 8-19).
Aug. 29 John Paul II announces the opening to historians of the secret archives of the papacies of St. Pius X (1903-14) and Benedict XV (1914-22).
Sept. 9 28th pastoral visit outside Italy: Kloten, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
Oct. 4 Official visit of President Francesco Cossiga of Italy.
Nov. 17 Personal message of the Pope to Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbaciov for the Geneva summit.
Nov. 21 Third Plenary Meeting of the College of Cardinals on the reform of the Roman Curia
(November 21-23).
Nov. 25 Second Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on: "The Twentieth Anniversary of the Conclusion of the Second Vatican Council" (November 25-December 8).
1986
Jan. 18 Official visit of Italian President Francesco Cossiga.
Jan. 31 29th pastoral visit outside Italy: India (January 31- February
10).
Feb. 19 Private audience with President Amin Gemayel of Lebanon.
Mar. 6 Official visit of Governor General of Canada, Jeanne Sauve.
Apr. 5 Publication of the Instruction "Libertatis conscientia" of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on Christian freedom and liberation.
Apr. 13 John Paul II makes an unprecedented visit to Rome's main synagogue, the oldest Jewish
group in the Diaspora; prays with Rabbi Elio Toaff and Giacomo Saban, president of Rome's
Jewish community.
May 18 Fifth Papal Encyclical "Dominum et Vivificantem" (On the Holy Spirit), published on
May 30.
June 3 The international "John XXIII Award for Peace" is given by John Paul II to the Catholic
Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees of Thailand.
July 1 30th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Colombia and Santa Lucia (July 1-8).
July 15 Publication of the new "Enchiridion Indulgentiarum" (manual of indulgences).
Aug. 4 John Paul II presides over funeral for Cardinal Carlo Confalonieri, dean of the College of
Cardinals, who died on August 1.
Aug. 26 Apostolic Letter "Augustinum Hipponensem" for the 16th centenary of the conversion of St. Augustine.
Oct. 4 31st pastoral visit outside Italy: France (East-Central region, October 4-7).
Oct. 27 John Paul II attends the First World Day of Prayer for Peace which he convened in Assisi
with some 60 representatives of the main Christian and non- Christian religions.
Oct. 31 Official visit of President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroon.
Nov. 18 32nd pastoral visit outside Italy: to Bangladesh, Singapore, Fiji Islands, New Zealand,
Australia and Seychelles (November 18-December 1).
1987
Jan. 13 Special audience with President of the Council of the People's Republic of Poland, General Wojciech Jaruzelski.
Jan. 19 Private meeting with Jordan's King Hussein about the situation in the Middle East.
Feb. 22 Instruction of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith on respect for human life.
Mar. 25 Sixth Papal Encyclical "Redemptoris Mater," (Mother of the Redeemer), describing the
Virgin Mary's life as an image of obedience and a model of "femininity with dignity."
Mar. 31 33rd pastoral visit outside Italy: to Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina: celebration in Buenos Aires of the Second World Youth Day (March 31- April 13).
Apr. 30 34th pastoral visit outside Italy: to the Federal Republic of Germany (April 30-May 4).
June 6 Official visit of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
June 6 On the vigil of Pentecost: Solemn opening of the Marian Year (June 7- August 15).
June 8 35th pastoral visit outside Italy: Poland (June 8-14).
June 25 Official visit of President Kurt Waldheim of the Federal Republic of Austria.
June 28 Celebration of the 7th centenary of the evangelization of Lithuania.
July 8 First visit of John Paul II to the Dolomites (Lorenzago di Cadore), in northern Italy, for a rest (July 8-14).
Sep. 10 36th pastoral visit outside Italy: to U.S.A. and Canada (Fort Simpson) (September 10-21).
Oct. 1 Seventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on: "The Vocation and Mission of
the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World".
Dec. 3 His Holiness Dimitrios, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, visits John Paul II (December 3-7).
December 11 Official visit with President Raul Ricardo Alfonsin of the Republic of Argentina.
Dec. 30 Seventh Papal Encyclical "Sollicitudo Rei Socialis" (On Social Concerns), published
February 19, 1988. It criticized economic and political ideologies of the West and the East.
1988
Jan. 25 John Paul II's Apostolic Letter "Euntes in Mundum," for the millennium of the Baptism of Kievan Ruþ', published March 22.
Mar. 3 First publication of the financial report of the Holy See (for the year 1986) and the
estimated budget for the year 1988.
May 7 37th pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: to Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru (May 7-19).
May 21 Inauguration of the "Dono di Maria" shelter in the Vatican, entrusted to Mother Teresa's Missionary Sisters of Charity.
June 13 Delegation to Moscow led by Secretary of State Cardinal Casaroli for the celebrations of
the Millennium of Kievan Ruþ'.
June 18 Official visit of President Corazon Aquino of the Republic of the Philippines.
June 23 38th pastoral visit outside Italy: Austria (June 23-27).
June 28 Apostolic Constitution "Pastor Bonus" for the reform of the Roman Curia.
June 28 Fourth consistory of John Paul II for the creation of 25 new cardinals.
July 2 Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei," establishing a commission "to be instituted ... to collaborate
with the bishops, with the Departments of the Roman Curia, ... for the purpose of facilitating full ecclesial communion of priests, seminarians, religious communities or individuals until now linked to the Fraternity founded by Mons. Lefevbre, who may wish to remain united to the Successor of Peter in the Catholic Church."
July 4 Special audience with the prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of
Malta, H.H. Fra Andrew W.N. Bertie.
July 10 Solemn liturgy in the Byzantine-Ukrainian Rite in St. Peter's Basilica for the Millennium of the Baptism of Kievan Rus'.
Aug. 15 Solemn conclusion of Marian Year in St. Peter's Basilica.
Sep. 10 39th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland (September 10-20).
Sep. 30 Publication of the Apostolic Letter "Mulieris Dignitatem" (On the Dignity and Vocation
of Women).
Oct. 8 40th pastoral visit outside Italy: to the European Institutions of Strasbourg and to the
dioceses of Strasbourg, Metz and Nancy, France (October 8-11).
Nov. 19 Visit with President Ciriaco De Mita of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic.
Dec. 30 Apostolic Exhortation "Christifideles Laici." JPII-PONTIFICATE/OVERVIEW
1978-88/... VIS 981014 (3770)
John Paul II was elected Pope on October 16, 1978, and his pontificate was solemnly inaugurated on October 22.
What follows is a year-by-year overview of his papacy, listing its major events. Annual Messages (Lent, to Youth, for World Mission Day, etc.) and events, such as the Holy Father's January address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See and his Christmas and Easter liturgical celebrations, are not listed. We present the years 1978 through 1988.
Cardinal Karol Wojtyla is elected successor to Pope John Paul I, becoming the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church. He is the first non-Italian Pope since Adrian VI (1522-23), the first Polish Pope, and the youngest Pope since Pius IX (1846-78). He takes the name John Paul II.
First "Urbi et Orbi" radio message of John Paul II.
Solemn inauguration of his ministry as Universal Pastor of the Church.
John Paul II's historic embrace of Cardinal Wyszynski.
First trip by new pontiff to Castelgandolfo: visit to the parish church and papal villa.
First pilgrimage outside Rome to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella.
Visit of John Paul II to Assisi to venerate the tomb of St. Francis, patron of Italy, and to the basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva to venerate the tomb of St. Catherine, patroness of Italy.
As bishop of Rome, John Paul II takes possession of St. John Lateran Basilica.
John Paul II begins his pastoral visits to the parishes in the diocese of Rome: St. Francis
Xavier at Garbatella.
John Paul II accepts the request for mediation in the border conflict between Argentina
and Chile.
Audience granted to the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko.
First pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: to the Dominican Republic, Mexico (for the Third General Conference of the Latin American Bishops, Puebla) and the Bahamas.
First papal Encyclical "Redemptor Hominis" (On the redemption and dignity of the human race), published March 15.
John Paul II presides over funeral of Secretary of State Cardinal Jean Villot, who died on March 9.
Archbishop Agostino Casaroli is appointed pro-secretary of state and pro-prefect of the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church.
Second pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: to Poland (June 2-10).
Historic homily of John Paul II at Victory Square in Warsaw:
"It is not possible to understand the history of the Polish nation without Christ."
Celebration of the first consistory in his pontificate for the creation of 14 cardinals,
among whom were Agostino Casaroli, secretary of state. (One additional Cardinal was reserved "in pectore," Chinese Ignatius Gong Pin-mei, whose appointment was published only in the consistory of June 28, 1991).
Third pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: to Ireland, the United Nations and the United States of America (September 29-October 8).
First Plenary Assembly of the College of Cardinals on the themes: the structure of the
Roman Curia; the Church and culture; the financial situation of the Holy See (November 5-9).
Good Friday: John Paul II hears confessions of the faithful for the first time in St. Peter's Basilica.
Fifth pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: Zaire, Republic of the Congo, Kenya,
Ghana, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast (May 2-12).
Sixth pastoral visit of John Paul II outside Italy: to France (May 30- June 2).
John Paul II's address to UNESCO in Paris.
Visit of President Jimmy Carter of the United States.
For the first time John Paul II alludes to the events happening in Poland regarding
Solidarnosc.
Pastoral visit to Subiaco and meeting with the European bishops.
Official visit of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and of H.R.H. Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh.
Eighth pastoral visit outside Italy: to West Germany (November 15- 19).
Pastoral visit to Capodichino (Naples), Potenza, Balvano, Avellino, after the earthquake.
Second papal Encyclical "Dives in misericordia" (On the mercy of God), published December 2.
Official visit of President Cviyetin Mijatovic of the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia.
Apostolic Letter proclaiming Sts. Cyril and Methodius, together with St. Benedict, co-patrons of Europe.
John Paul II meets with Rome's Chief Rabbi Elio Toaff, during his pastoral visit to the
parish of Sts. Carlo e Biagio in Catinari.
Ninth foreign pastoral visit: Pakistan, the Philippines, Guam (U.S.A.), Japan, and
Anchorage (U.S.A.) (February 16-27).
At 5:19 p.m. Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca makes an attempt on the Pope's life while he was circling St. Peter's Square in a jeep before his Wednesday general audience. The Pope is brought to Gemelli Hospital where he undergoes a six-hour operation.
The Holy Father recites the angelus at Gemelli hospital: "Pray for the brother who shot me, whom I have sincerely forgiven."
John Paul II creates the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and
Economic Problems of the Holy See, following a meeting of the Sacred College, November 5-9,
1980.
The Pope returns to the Vatican after 22 days of recovery at Gemelli Hospital.
John Paul II is newly hospitalized for a cytomegalovirus infection. On August 5 he
undergoes a second operation; leaves hospital definitively on August 14, returns to the Vatican, then goes to Castelgandolfo on August 16. He was in the hospital a total of 78 days between May 13 and August 14.
First meeting of the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See.
Third papal Encyclical "Laborem exercens" (On human work).
In an address to the 21st conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization John Paul II urges the elimination of "absolute poverty, ... a condition in which life is so limited ... as to be beneath any rational definition of human decency."
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Familiaris Consortio" (On the Family), published
on December 15.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith.
John Paul II sends delegates from the Pontifical Academy of Sciences to the presidents of
the U.S.A., USSR, Great Britain, France, and to the U.N., to explain their document on the eventual consequences of the use of nuclear arms in Europe and the world.
John Paul II requests prayers for the Polish nation, calling the situation a state of
emergency.
Apostolic Letter "Caritatis Christi," for the Church in China.
10th foreign pastoral visit: Nigeria, Benin, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea (February
12-19).
Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the Church in China.
John Paul II receives credentials of the first British ambassador to the Vatican since the
reign of Henry VIII.
11th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Portugal, one year after the assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square (May 12-15).
Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for justice and peace, and for peace between Argentina and
Great Britain (over the Falkland Islands/Malvinas).
12th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Great Britain (May 28-June 2).
Joint statement of John Paul II and the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, at
the end of the ecumenical celebration in the Anglican Canterbury Cathedral. New
Catholic-Anglican theological commission is announced.
John Paul II meets U.S. President Ronald Reagan for the first time; they pledge to work for world peace and justice.
13th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Argentina, in relation to the war between Argentina
and Great Britain (June 10-13).
14th pastoral visit outside Italy: one-day trip to Geneva, Switzerland. John Paul II addresses the 68th session of the International Labor Conference.
The Holy See announces diplomatic relations with Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
15th pastoral visit outside Italy, and 28th within Italy: one-day trip to the Republic of San Marino and to Rimini, Italy.
Private meeting with Yasser Arafat on the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Renewed appeal for peace in Lebanon, after the murder of president-elect Bechir Gemayel.
Canonization of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe. Present at the canonization ceremony was Mr. Franciszek Gajownizek, the man for whom Fr. Maximilian offered his life in the concentration
camp at Auschwitz.
Meeting with Italian President Sandro Pertini, at Castelporziano.
Official visit of President Karl Carstens of the Federal Republic of Germany.
16th pastoral visit outside Italy: to Spain, for the closure of the 4th Centenary of the death of St. Teresa of Avila (October 31-November 9).
Message to the peoples of Europe from the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Second plenary session of the College of Cardinals: principle topic is the reform of the
Roman Curia (November 23-26).
John Paul II announces the Holy Year of Redemption: from Lent 1983 to Easter 1984.
© by Grace Soileau