OCTOBER 16, 1978: CARDINAL WOJTYLA CALLED TO THE SEE OF PETER

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 1996 (VIS) - Eighteen years ago tomorrow, at 6:18 p.m., white smoke appeared from the small chimney of the Sistine Chapel, thus signalling the election of a new Roman Pontiff. Twenty-seven minutes later, Cardinal Pericle Felici appeared on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and announced the election of Pope John Paul II to the See of Peter with the words: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum Habemus Papam Carolum Wojtyla, qui sibi nomen imposuit Ioannem Paulum II."

At 7:15 p.m., the new pontiff, clad in the traditional papal white, appeared on the same balcony and spoke in Italian the words now familiar to tens of millions of people around the world: "Praised be Jesus Christ!" He continued: "The most eminent cardinals have called a new bishop of Rome. They called him from a far-away country, ... far, but always near in the communion of faith and the Christian tradition. I was afraid in receiving this nomination, but I did it in the spirit of obedience to Our Lord and with total trust in his Mother, the Most Holy Madonna."

John Paul II, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, was elected as the 264th Pope by the other 109 cardinal electors on the second day of the second conclave of 1978. Six days later, on October 22, 1978, that pastoral ministry was inaugurated.

In his 18 years as Pope, John Paul II has held six consistories in which he has created 137 cardinals. The most recent consistory was November 26, 1994, in which he created 30 cardinals. As of today, there are 154 members of the College of Cardinals, 118 of whom have been created by John Paul II. From the start of his pontificate to today, the Holy Father has named over 2,350 of the world's nearly 4,200 bishops.

Pope John Paul has written 12 encyclicals and dozens of apostolic letters, exhortations and constitutions. In preparation for the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul wrote the Apostolic Letter "Tertio Millennio Adveniente," dated November 10, 1994, and published four days later. He also created the Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

Over the years, the Holy Father has undertaken 74 pastoral visits outside Italy, the latest of which was to France from September 19-22. He has made 126 trips within Italy and 616 within the city and diocese of Rome, including visits to 250 of the 325 parishes, and others to religious institutes and universities, seminaries, hospitals, rest homes, prisons and schools. His travels have brought him to the 1.049,500 kilometer mark (629,700 miles), that is, 26 times the earth's circumference or 2.7 times the distance between the earth and moon.

Apostolic trips on Pope John Paul's calendar for 1997 include Poland, Prague, France in August for World Youth Day and Brazil in October for the World Day of the Family.

During his pontificate, diplomatic relations at the levels of apostolic nunciature and embassy were established for the first time with 60 countries and re-established, following an interrupted period, with six other countries.

The Holy Father founded the John Paul II Institute for the Sahel in February, 1984, and the "Populorum Progressio" Foundation for the Indigenous peoples of Latin America in February, 1992. He also founded the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Academy for Social Sciences. As well, he instituted World Youth Day (WYD): the 12th WYD will be celebrated in France in August, 1997. The Pope himself chooses the theme and develops its contents in an annual Message to the Youth of the World.
JPII-ANNIVERSARY ELECTION/.../... VIS 961015 (580)