Soil From Pope John Paul II’s Visits
Having known only one pope for a majority of my life, I felt that Pople John Paul II is one of the most influential people in recent times. He was the most traveled pope and actively reached out to the peoples of the world. It is not surprising that he was very well liked. Throngs of people would be meeting him whenever he visits. Naturally, this is more pronounced in majority Catholic countries. It was during the reign of Pope John Paul II that World Youth Day was conceived. The family home of Pope John Paul II has various memorabilia from his numerous travels.
Logo of World Youth Day 1995 in Manila
In one hall was one which exhibited soil which was taken from all the countries which the pope visited. It can be recalled that Pope John Paul II would traditionally kiss the ground whenever he landed in a country he was visiting. It was incredible to see how much soil was collected over the years because of this man. It only shows how much effort he spent to reach out to all countries. Another hall showed logos of the various World Youth Day celebrations around the world. The celebration is continued by his successors and continues to draw Catholic youth from all over.
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