Pope Ended 455 Year Old Vatican Tradition

Some authorities thought that as the years of the US-USSR Cold War influenced the world, the struggle against Communism made it easier for cardinals to elect someone from eastern block countries to Papacy. Jean Paul II was assigned to Papacy when he was 58 years old and unlike his predecessors, he had not worked in the Vatican or diplomatic missions.

Jean Paul II’s perception of his job as a missionary service rather than a presidency set him apart from his predecessors. During his 26 years of service he traveled extensively, making 104 overseas trips. He received presidential visits 738 times and visits from prime ministers 246 times. A significant achievement of the pope was that he succeeded in making Papacy popular all over the world. He will be remembered as the pope who talked most and talked to the biggest crowd in world history. The Pontiff also broke a record by ordaining sainthood to 482 people and he also proclaimed 1,338 blessed people.

"Papa" frequently engaged in "dialogue" with two other sects of Christianity, Orthodoxy and Protestants, as well as the other religions including Islam in order to establish relationships between different faiths. He was quick to forbid Catholic theologians from publishing their works in which they criticized him for his contribution to the dialogue process, and removed them from their offices.

The Pope traveled to Turkey in 1979 and met with the 5th President of Turkey, Cevdet Gunay.