In his 25-year reign , Pope John Paul II has been away from the Vatican for almost two years of his pontificate in order to travel far afield to » strengthen his brothers and sisters in faith ».
No other Pope has travelled as much as he did : over a million km in order to visit 133 countries. In a quarter of a century, John Paul II has left his mark on history and papacy, contributing to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and bringing the Catholic Church into the new millennium. Despite failing health, he accumulated records and « firsts », he pointed the finger at the excesses of capitalism and pleaded the cause of peace and human rights. He defended the poor, worked towards ecumenism and repentance. He also favoured a conservative approach to all questions of morality and sexuality – which won him criticism and incomprehension from many of his contemporaries.
John Paul II was not afraid to confront neither dictators – who grudgingly respect him – nor anticlerical pressure or political pressure, as was the case during his visits to Israel, Jordan and Palestine. This Pope resembles St. Francis Xavier, Apostle of the Indies, evangelising the Asian territories until he would collapse with fatigue.
This series, coproduced with CTV – Vatican TV Center, offers an original viewpoint of Pope John Paul’s long reign (with exclusive access thanks to the pictures and archives from Vatican TV).


The films:
BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN
IN CHRIST'S FOOTSTEPS
IN THE MAELSTREAM OF LATIN AMERICA
MISSION TO DISTANT LANDS
SERMON TO THE RICH