THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA (KNIGHTS OF MALTA)
HABEMUS PAPUM "WE HAVE A POPE!" COMMEMORATING THE REIGN OF POPE JOHN PAUL II (1978-2005)
OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE RIGHT FACING RIGHT WEARING ZUCHETTO, SAINT PETER'S BASILLICA IN BACKGOUND, DOVE ABOVE, PAPAL CROWN (TIARA) OR TRIREGNUM SUSPENDED ABOVE LEFT; DATE OF ASCENSION TO PONTIFICATE LEFT, LATIN LEGEND ABOVE "HABEMUS PAPEM (WE HAVE A POPE)".
REV: CROWNED AND WREATHED CIRCULAR ARMS OF THE ORDER OF MALTA; BOTTOM OF ARMS DIVIDES DATE; DENOMINATION BELOW.
SAINT JOHN PAUL THE GREAT (POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II) (REIGNED 1978-2005), BORN KAROL JOZEF WOJTYLA, REIGNED AS SUPREME PONTIFF OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SOVEREIGN OF VATICAN CITY LONGER THAN ANY OTHER POPE EXCEPT FOR PIUS IX. HE WAS THE ONLY POLISH POPE, AND THE FIRST NON-ITALIAN POPE SINCE 1522. HE BECAME ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS OF THE 20th CENTURY AND IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO HAVE BEEN INTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING AN END TO COMMUNISM IN EUROPE. HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST TRAVELLED WORLD LEADERS IN HISTORY, VISITED OVER 129 COUNTRIES AND LOGGING MORE THAN 750,000 MILES (MORE THAN ALL THE PREVIOUS POPES IN TOTAL). HE IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH MANY FAITHS FOLLOWING A DOCTRINE OF TOLERANCE, UNDERSTANDING, AND COMMON GROUND. THE TITLE "VENERABLE" WAS PROCLAIMED BY HIS SUCCESSOR BENEDICT XVI, AND THE COMMON USAGE OF THE EPITHET "THE GREAT" HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HIM SINCE HIS PASSING. ON MAY 1, 2011, JOHN PAUL II RECEIVED BEATIFICATION FROM THE CHURCH, THIRD OF THE FOUR STEPS TOWARD CANNONIZATION. THE TRADITIONAL FIVE-YEAR WAITING PERIOD FOR CANONIZATION WAS WAIVED AND THE PROCESS STARTED SHORTLY AFTER HIS DEATH. TWO MIRACLES HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE INTERVENTION OF POPE JOHN PAUL II AND CONFIRMED BY THE CHURCH, THE SECOND OF WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY POPE FRANCIS IN 2013. JOHN PAUL II WAS CANONIZED, ALONGSIDE POPE JOHN XXIII, ON APRIL 27, 2014.
CONTAINS 155.5 GRAMS OF .999 FINE GOLD (5 OZ AGW)
65 MM IN DIAMETER
RARE ONLY 99 MINTED
