Up for auction is this bronze medal signed by "Inácio Santos" on the obverse. The obverse features Pope John Paul II in relief. The reverse features a small description of Pope John Paul II.

 

About Pope John Paul II:

Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born Karol Józef Wojtyla (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October 16, 1978 until his death more than 26 years later, making his the second-longest pontificate in modern times after Pius IX's 31-year reign. He was the first (and only) Polish Pope and the first non-Italian Pope since the Dutch Adrian VI in the 1520s. According to the Time 100, he is one of only four people in history to have shaped both the 20th century and the early 21st. His early reign was marked by his opposition to communism, and he is often credited as one of the forces which contributed to its collapse in Eastern Europe. In the later part of his pontificate, he was notable for speaking against consumerism, unrestrained capitalism, war, dictatorship, materialism, abortion, relativism and what he deemed the "culture of death". During his reign, the pope traveled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any of his predecessors. He remains one of the most-traveled world leaders in history. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he canonized a great many people. He was Pope during a period in which Catholicism's influence declined in developed countries but expanded in the Third World. John Paul II was fluent in numerous languages: his native Polish and also Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin. In 1992, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On 2 April 2005 at 9:37 p.m. local time, Pope John Paul II died in the Papal Apartments while a vast crowd kept vigil in Saint Peter's Square below. Millions of people flocked to Rome to pay their respects to the body and for his funeral. The last years of his reign had been marked by his fight against the various diseases ailing him, provoking some concerns that he should abdicate. On May 9, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, John Paul II's successor, waived the five year waiting period for a cause for beatification to be opened.

 

Obverse: Pope John Paul II in relief

Reverse: a small description of Pope John Paul II

 

Weight and diameter:

205gr

3.4/8 inches | 80mm diameter