My Favorite John Paul II Picture

I know others are more beatiful or moving, and I want to give them their due, but this picture has a special place in my heart. Used to have a postcard of it in my office at Catholic Answers for years (until we moved offices and it went missing).

Comicpope

Use this syntax to put your own favorite pictures of John Paul II in the combox:

<img src="http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx">

where the x’es represent the URL of the picture (make sure you don’t put http:// in twice).

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

27 thoughts on “My Favorite John Paul II Picture”


  1. This is my mom’s group just after an audience in the late 1990s. (My mom is in the red sweater.)
    I love this picture particularly because it clearly shows the Pope’s red shoes. My mom was very amused with his red shoes, for some reason.
    ‘thann

  5. Hmmm, that picture posting command didn’t work for some reason. Here is the raw URL:
    Perhaps Typepad comments don’t allow tags. I suspect that’s the case, since it would be very unwise to allow them. Imagine what would get posted if just anyone could post an image!

  9. My favorite image actually changed with your interview on FoxNews Jimmy. While you guys were talking they played a video clip of the Holy Father standing in front of a crowd. It looked like he must have been watching a procession or something. He had his arms crossed in front of him and was standing tall. I can’t describe it well, but it’s wonderful.
    Later tonight, I’ll grab a frame off the video and post it somewhere…

  10. I can’t find my favorite picture of JPII online, so I’ll describe it. It shows him in blue ski wear, skis propped nearby. He’s sitting on a bench, breviary opened in his lap, glancing up as though he’s just been pulled out of his daily prayers for a quick picture.

  11. The Antichrist has revealed his true face!

    Seriously, I’ve thought about doing a graphical parody of anti-Catholic nutters that incorporates this picture. My photoshop skills are nonexistent, alas.

  17. I’m pleased that this is a genuine picture of JPII…I have seen it many times in the forums that I frequent, and I know that a couple of people were questioning whether or not it was a fake, we couldn’t verify it at the time, so thanks!
    God Bless.

  18. My priest (so he says) has a rare photo that he made copies for some of us in the parish that has JPI fifteen days into his reign as Pope and Karol is kneeling down kissing his ring and of course, a couple of weeks later he is our Papa! It’s my favorite, and now I have a copy…. I don’t want you guys to tell me that you’ve seen this photo and that it isn’t rare because I paid $10 for a copy!

  19. I love that video of Pope John Paul II jumping of the dais and crossing to the stage to embrace the armless man who plays the guitar with his feet. (I’m sorry, I can’t remember his name.) To see the Pope both so spry and so moved by the performance to do that is just special.

  22. Rebel One,
    It is of the same time but mine is different–hard to explain, but thanks for the site of those images.

  25. I am looking for the photo of John Paul walking in his private garden. He is in his white cassock. I saw the photo in several bookstores in Rome the week he was dying. Unfortunately, I returned home to the USA without purchasing it.
    HELP?

  27. this picture indeed is very good. thank you for keeping it for us as well.
    lynn

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