| Holiday Name: | Pope John Paul II Day |
| Type: | national |
| Official Name: | Dzień Papieża Jana Pawła II |
| Observedby: | Polish |
| Significance: | Commemorates the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła to become Pope |
| Date: | October 16 |
| Scheduling: | same day each year |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Frequency: | annual |
| Mdy: | yes |
| Relatedto: | Papal Day |
Pope John Paul II Day (Polish: Dzień Papieża Jana Pawła II) is a Polish festival celebrated every year on October 16. It was established by the Polish Parliament as a tribute to Pope John Paul II. In parallel, it is celebrated by the Catholic Church in Poland as Papal Day, which falls on the Sunday preceding the anniversary of the election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope.
On October 16, 1978, the Archbishop of Kraków Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was elected as Pope and took the name John Paul II. He was the first Pope in 455 years who was not Italian.
On the same day in 2002, Pope John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.
October 16 was established as an official celebration by the Polish Parliament on 27 July 2005 - as stated in the resolution - "a tribute to the greatest authority of the twentieth century, a man who reached into the sources of Christianity, taught us solidarity, courage and humility" ("w hołdzie największemu autorytetowi XX wieku, człowiekowi, który sięgając do źródeł chrześcijaństwa, uczył nas solidarności, odwagi i pokory").
The law establishing the holiday was supported by 338 deputies, three were against and two abstained.
The day was celebrated for the first time in 2001 but is not a day off from work.
Since 2001, the Polish Catholic Church has celebrated Papal Day, a day of gratitude, communion with Pope John Paul II and the promotion of his teaching. It falls on the Sunday before October 16. The coordinator of the day is the Foundation Work of the New Millennium. On Papal Day, money is raised for scholarships for talented Polish youth from low-income and poor families.
| Day | Theme | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Pontificate Gorges (October 14) | |
| 2002 | John Paul II - Witness to Hope (October 13) | |
| 2003 | John Paul II - Apostle Unity (October 12) | |
| 2004 | John Paul II - The Pilgrim Room (October 10) | |
| 2005 | John Paul II - The Truth Advocate (October 16) | |
| 2006 | John Paul II - Servant of Charity (October 15) | |
| 2007 | John Paul II - The defender of human dignity (October 14) | |
| 2008 | John Paul II - The young teacher (October 12) | |
| 2009 | John Paul II - The Pope freedom (October 11) | |
| 2010 | John Paul II - The courage of holiness (October 10) | |
| 2011 | John Paul II - Man of Prayer (October 9) | |
| 2012 | John Paul II - The Pope family (October 14) | |
| 2013 | John Paul II - The Pope of dialogue (October 13) | |
| 2014 | John Paul II - Holy B (October 12) | |
| 2015 | John Paul II - Patron of Families (October 11)[1] | |
| 2016 | Be witnesses of mercy (October 9) | |
| 2017 | Let's go forward with hope (October 8) | |
| 2018 | Radiation of Paternity (October 14) |