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Guardian, UK
Chronology of a papacy
Saturday April 2, 2005
The Guardian
October 16 1978 Karol Wojtyla elected, the first non-Italian pope since
Adrian VI, a Dutchman, became pope in 1523. Takes the name of his ill-fated
predecessor, John Paul, who died after a month in the job. His choice
symbolises his desire to consolidate the innovation of Pope John XXIII, who
presided over the reforming Second Vatican Council, and the caution of Pope
Paul VI.
1979 The Pope sets his globe-trotting style by visiting Mexico, Poland, the
US and Ireland in his first year. In Poland, he receives an ecstatic welcome
from huge crowds, giving a boost to the trade union, Solidarity.
1981 Assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Agca, a radical Turkish
nationalist. Strong claims are later made, but never proved, of a connection
between Agca and the secret services of the then communist bloc - certainly
the assassin was able to move surprisingly easily through Bulgaria, a
country whose regime assassinated political opponents, and Romania. The Pope
is badly wounded after the bullet narrowly misses vital organs. It is set in
a crown of jewels and presented to Our Lady of Fatima by the Pope. He sees
it as a sign of divine providence that he was spared for the good of the
church.
1982 Pope visits Britain amid preparations for war with Argentina in a trip
that attracts big crowds and sees him praying with Robert Runcie at
Canterbury Cathedral, but which leaves the Catholic church in England with
crippling debts.
The body of Roberto Calvi, president of the Milan-based Banco Ambrosiano, is
found hanging under Blackfriars bridge in London. His death brings to light
murky dealings involving the Vatican Bank. There are suspicions that money
was siphoned off from the bank to help fund Solidarity in Poland,
instrumental in the downfall of the country's communist regime seven years
later.
1985 The Vatican declares that homosexuality is an "intrinsic moral evil"
and must be seen as an "objective disorder".
1988 In his pastoral letter on the role of women, Mulieris Dignitatem, the
Pope rules out women becoming priests.
1989 The Cologne Declaration criticising the Vatican for interference and
authoritarianism is signed by 163 German-speaking theologians, and
subsequently by 130 of their French colleagues. Italian theologians produce
their own version a few months later. Rome imposes an oath of obedience on
all priests and all those in any position of authority in the church, to the
teachings laid down by the Pope and the college of bishops.
Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Pope holds a historic meeting
with the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, in the Vatican.
1992 The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has a tense meeting with
the Pope and acknowledges that there have been differences over women
priests and contraception.
1993 Veritatis Splendor encyclical claims there is a "culture of death" in
which abortion, in-vitro fertilisation and embryology have become widely
accepted. Condemns birth control as an "intrinsic evil".
1994 A general election in Italy marks the end of an era dominated by the
Vatican-backed Christian Democrat party. The Christian Democrats' final
years see evidence emerge that the party is awash with corruption. Giulio
Andreotti, one of the Christian Democrats closest to the Vatican, is
subsequently tried but acquitted of murder and mafia involvement.
The Vatican is blamed for hijacking the UN conference on population and
development in Cairo in alliance with Iran over the abortion issue.
1996 The Pope at last fulfils an ambition to visit Sarajevo. Explosives are
planted near his route.
1998 He makes a historic and hugely successful visit to communist Cuba.
Fidel Castro later agrees to let the island's Catholics celebrate Christmas.
In his most purely philosophical encyclical, the Pope argues that the
fundamental problem facing the world is that faith and reason are seen as
mutually exclusive.
2000 He summons 30 million pilgrims to Rome for jubilee celebrations,
including a mass with 2 million young people.
On a visit to Portugal, he reveals the third secret of Fatima: a prediction
of Ali Agca's assassination attempt - further proof for the pontiff of his
divinely ordained mission.
A Vatican document sparks outcry by branding other religions flawed and
inferior, eroding some of the goodwill generated by the Pope's visit to
Jerusalem and by a sweeping apology for the sins of the church.
2001 The Pope creates 44 cardinals, dipping the number of Europeans eligible
to elect a pope below 50% and enhancing the influence of the church in the
developing world.
He becomes the first pope to enter a mosque and reaches out to Orthodox
Christians on trips to Greece and Armenia.
2002 Trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria exposes failing health: he is unable to
leave his plane unassisted and cannot read most of his speeches.
He summons US cardinals to Rome for summit on the sex scandals convulsing
the American church.
The Pope is accused of creating too many saints too quickly after canonising
the mystic monk Padre Pio, who died in 1968. He also canonises 16th-century
Mexican Indian Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, who many believe did not exist.
He tells a meeting of a million people in Toronto, Canada, that the harm
done by paedophile priests in the US "fills us with sadness and shame".
2003 A cardinal confirms the Pope has Parkinson's disease. He makes his
100th foreign trip but cancels engagements because of an intestinal ailment.
He beatifies Mother Teresa before a crowd of 300,000.
2004 He condemns gay marriage as an attack on fabric of society. He breathes
heavily and gasps during mass at Lourdes.
2005 He falls ill with flu, is readmitted after a relapse then undergoes a
tracheotomy to help him breathe; further complications require a nasal
feeding tube to be inserted.
Chronology of a papacy
Saturday April 2, 2005
The Guardian
October 16 1978 Karol Wojtyla elected, the first non-Italian pope since
Adrian VI, a Dutchman, became pope in 1523. Takes the name of his ill-fated
predecessor, John Paul, who died after a month in the job. His choice
symbolises his desire to consolidate the innovation of Pope John XXIII, who
presided over the reforming Second Vatican Council, and the caution of Pope
Paul VI.
1979 The Pope sets his globe-trotting style by visiting Mexico, Poland, the
US and Ireland in his first year. In Poland, he receives an ecstatic welcome
from huge crowds, giving a boost to the trade union, Solidarity.
1981 Assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Agca, a radical Turkish
nationalist. Strong claims are later made, but never proved, of a connection
between Agca and the secret services of the then communist bloc - certainly
the assassin was able to move surprisingly easily through Bulgaria, a
country whose regime assassinated political opponents, and Romania. The Pope
is badly wounded after the bullet narrowly misses vital organs. It is set in
a crown of jewels and presented to Our Lady of Fatima by the Pope. He sees
it as a sign of divine providence that he was spared for the good of the
church.
1982 Pope visits Britain amid preparations for war with Argentina in a trip
that attracts big crowds and sees him praying with Robert Runcie at
Canterbury Cathedral, but which leaves the Catholic church in England with
crippling debts.
The body of Roberto Calvi, president of the Milan-based Banco Ambrosiano, is
found hanging under Blackfriars bridge in London. His death brings to light
murky dealings involving the Vatican Bank. There are suspicions that money
was siphoned off from the bank to help fund Solidarity in Poland,
instrumental in the downfall of the country's communist regime seven years
later.
1985 The Vatican declares that homosexuality is an "intrinsic moral evil"
and must be seen as an "objective disorder".
1988 In his pastoral letter on the role of women, Mulieris Dignitatem, the
Pope rules out women becoming priests.
1989 The Cologne Declaration criticising the Vatican for interference and
authoritarianism is signed by 163 German-speaking theologians, and
subsequently by 130 of their French colleagues. Italian theologians produce
their own version a few months later. Rome imposes an oath of obedience on
all priests and all those in any position of authority in the church, to the
teachings laid down by the Pope and the college of bishops.
Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Pope holds a historic meeting
with the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, in the Vatican.
1992 The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has a tense meeting with
the Pope and acknowledges that there have been differences over women
priests and contraception.
1993 Veritatis Splendor encyclical claims there is a "culture of death" in
which abortion, in-vitro fertilisation and embryology have become widely
accepted. Condemns birth control as an "intrinsic evil".
1994 A general election in Italy marks the end of an era dominated by the
Vatican-backed Christian Democrat party. The Christian Democrats' final
years see evidence emerge that the party is awash with corruption. Giulio
Andreotti, one of the Christian Democrats closest to the Vatican, is
subsequently tried but acquitted of murder and mafia involvement.
The Vatican is blamed for hijacking the UN conference on population and
development in Cairo in alliance with Iran over the abortion issue.
1996 The Pope at last fulfils an ambition to visit Sarajevo. Explosives are
planted near his route.
1998 He makes a historic and hugely successful visit to communist Cuba.
Fidel Castro later agrees to let the island's Catholics celebrate Christmas.
In his most purely philosophical encyclical, the Pope argues that the
fundamental problem facing the world is that faith and reason are seen as
mutually exclusive.
2000 He summons 30 million pilgrims to Rome for jubilee celebrations,
including a mass with 2 million young people.
On a visit to Portugal, he reveals the third secret of Fatima: a prediction
of Ali Agca's assassination attempt - further proof for the pontiff of his
divinely ordained mission.
A Vatican document sparks outcry by branding other religions flawed and
inferior, eroding some of the goodwill generated by the Pope's visit to
Jerusalem and by a sweeping apology for the sins of the church.
2001 The Pope creates 44 cardinals, dipping the number of Europeans eligible
to elect a pope below 50% and enhancing the influence of the church in the
developing world.
He becomes the first pope to enter a mosque and reaches out to Orthodox
Christians on trips to Greece and Armenia.
2002 Trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria exposes failing health: he is unable to
leave his plane unassisted and cannot read most of his speeches.
He summons US cardinals to Rome for summit on the sex scandals convulsing
the American church.
The Pope is accused of creating too many saints too quickly after canonising
the mystic monk Padre Pio, who died in 1968. He also canonises 16th-century
Mexican Indian Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, who many believe did not exist.
He tells a meeting of a million people in Toronto, Canada, that the harm
done by paedophile priests in the US "fills us with sadness and shame".
2003 A cardinal confirms the Pope has Parkinson's disease. He makes his
100th foreign trip but cancels engagements because of an intestinal ailment.
He beatifies Mother Teresa before a crowd of 300,000.
2004 He condemns gay marriage as an attack on fabric of society. He breathes
heavily and gasps during mass at Lourdes.
2005 He falls ill with flu, is readmitted after a relapse then undergoes a
tracheotomy to help him breathe; further complications require a nasal
feeding tube to be inserted.