John Paul II visited the Philippines twice:
- In 1981, when the pope was said to have made the lifting of Martial Law a precondition for his visit; and
- In 1995, when the pope said Mass for more than 4 million people, the largest-ever crowd for a World Youth Day gathering, if not for any gathering.
- "The obituary of Pope John Paul II" by John L Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter, 2 April 2005)
- "Pope most trusted person in RP — SWS" (Philippine Star, 5 April 2005).
- "John Paul has passionate love affair with Filipinos" by Lito Zulueta (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 3 April 2005).
- Video of 1995 visit (CNN; QuickTime Player required).
- Photos of 1981 visit to Baguio City.
- An essay on the lasting effect of the pope's 1981 visit to Bacolod.
- Further proof of the pope's popularity (or the Filipino penchant for overkill) are the following:
A 1995 2500-peso gold coin
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A 1981 2-peso note on which the papal seal was also printed
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One of the many items sold with the pope's face or name
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For more information, see his biographies in CNN and Wikipedia.
