# John Paul II elected (1978)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1978-john-paul-ii-elected
Location: Vatican City
Themes: Papacy

Karol Wojtyła becomes the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. At this point in the timeline (16 October 1978), the Bishop of Rome was Pope John Paul II (16 October 1978 – 2 April 2005).

## Why it matters
John Paul II elected mattered because it shaped the authority, policy or public role of the papacy and the Catholic Church.

Pope at the time: [Pope John Paul II](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-john-paul-ii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Pope John Paul II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — John Paul II elected](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=John+Paul+II+elected)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_20th_century)