The Roman Catholic Church will declare <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2013%2F07%2F02%2Fworld%2Fpope-john-paul-ii-fast-facts%2Findex.html">Pope John Paul II</a> a saint, the Vatican announced Friday, July 5. The Polish-born pope, pictured in 1978, was fast-tracked to beatification after his death in 2005 and was declared "blessed" barely six years later -- the fastest beatification in centuries. Here's a look at the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicnews.com%2Fjpii%2Fstories%2Fstory16.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank">most widely traveled pope</a> and his journeys around the world:
Pope John Paul II —
The Roman Catholic Church will declare Pope John Paul II a saint, the Vatican announced Friday, July 5. The Polish-born pope, pictured in 1978, was fast-tracked to beatification after his death in 2005 and was declared "blessed" barely six years later -- the fastest beatification in centuries. Here's a look at the most widely traveled pope and his journeys around the world:
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Pope John Paul II blesses the crowd in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Easter Sunday in April 1980.
Pope John Paul II —
Pope John Paul II blesses the crowd in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Easter Sunday in April 1980.
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Aides help Pope John Paul II moments after a May 13, 1981, assassination attempt by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in St Peter's Square.
Pope John Paul II —
Aides help Pope John Paul II moments after a May 13, 1981, assassination attempt by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in St Peter's Square.
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Pope John Paul II in Segovia, Spain, in November 1982.
Pope John Paul II —
Pope John Paul II in Segovia, Spain, in November 1982.
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Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa wave to well-wishers in Kolkata, India, in February 1986.
Pope John Paul II —
Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa wave to well-wishers in Kolkata, India, in February 1986.
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Pope John Paul II kisses the ground upon arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 1986.
Pope John Paul II —
Pope John Paul II kisses the ground upon arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 1986.
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Bill and Hillary Clinton greet Pope John Paul II as he arrives in Newark, New Jersey, on a U.S. trip in October 1995.
Pope John Paul II —
Bill and Hillary Clinton greet Pope John Paul II as he arrives in Newark, New Jersey, on a U.S. trip in October 1995.
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Pope John Paul II visits then-South African President Nelson Mandela at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria, South Africa, in September 1995.
Pope John Paul II —
Pope John Paul II visits then-South African President Nelson Mandela at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria, South Africa, in September 1995.
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Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims attend an open-air Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Beirut, Lebanon, in May 1997. The pontiff drew vast crowds as he crisscrossed the globe.
Pope John Paul II —
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims attend an open-air Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Beirut, Lebanon, in May 1997. The pontiff drew vast crowds as he crisscrossed the globe.
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Cuban leader Fidel Castro greets the pope in Cuba in January 1998. John Paul II was the first pontiff to visit the Caribbean island nation.
Pope John Paul II —
Cuban leader Fidel Castro greets the pope in Cuba in January 1998. John Paul II was the first pontiff to visit the Caribbean island nation.
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Pope John Paul II at the Mass of beatification of Anton Martin Slomsek in Maribor, Slovenia, in September 1999.
Pope John Paul II —
Pope John Paul II at the Mass of beatification of Anton Martin Slomsek in Maribor, Slovenia, in September 1999.
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