Papa João Paulo II

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. He was elected pontiff on October 16, 1978, taking the name of John Paul II in honor of his predecessor, John Paul I. His pontificate lasted until his death on April 2, 2005. John Paul II developed an influential ecclesiastical and diplomatic work throughout the world, being considered one of the major personalities of the twentieth century. He was beatified on May 1, 2005, and canonized on April 27, 2014. John Paul II was the only Pope who visited the Azores, which took place on May 11, 1991, and stopped both at Ponta Delgada (São Miguel) and Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira). In Ponta Delgada, he celebrated mass next to the São Francisco Square, with an audience of more than 25 thousand people. In his honor, the airport of Ponta Delgada received the designation of Airport John Paul II.
The sculpture is by Álvaro França.