Karol Wojtyła, i.e. II. Pope John Paul II became the head of the Catholic Church in 1978. His pontificate lasted 27 years and left a deep mark on the world. The Polish-born pope was unique in many ways: he was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, as well as the first Slavic pope in history. When Pope John Paul was elected, he was relatively young, which gave the church new impetus. His energetic personality, charismatic performance and travels have attracted millions around the world. During his pontificate, he visited many countries, including communist states, where he played a significant role in promoting changes. Due to his origin in Poland, he was particularly sensitive to the dangers of communism. By supporting the Solidarity movement and encouraging people behind the Iron Curtain, it played a significant role in the collapse of communism. His speeches and writings emphasized the importance of freedom, democracy and human dignity. The Pope paid a lot of attention to young people. With the initiative of the World Youth Days (VI.N.), he addressed a new generation and strengthened the youth movements of the Catholic Church. He emphasized the importance of love, faith and commitment for the youth. II. Pope János Pál considered it important to protect the institution of the family and respect the sanctity of life. He ranked the fight against abortion and euthanasia among his most important tasks. His teachings on the protection of life had a great impact on social debates worldwide. The Pope paid special attention to relations with Jews. He visited the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and condemned anti-Semitism. He also played a significant role in the promotion of Jewish-Christian dialogue. The promotion of ecumenism, that is, the unity of different Christian denominations, was also an important issue for the Pope. In dialogue with other Christian leaders, he sought to emphasize common roots and values. In 1981, he was the victim of an assassination attempt, Ali Ağca, a Turkish terrorist, shot him four times. The Pope recovered and later forgave Ağca. II. Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005. Just a few years after his death, in 2011, he was beatified, and in 2014 II. Pope John Paul II was canonized.

II. During the reign of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican City minted many coins. These coins depicted the portrait of the Pope, the coat of arms of the Vatican and various religious symbols. The first coins minted in 1978 were II. A bust of John Paul II was depicted on the reverse, with the coat of arms of the Vatican on the reverse. These coins were minted from silver, gold and nickel. In 1981, the Vatican issued a new series of coins on which II. A portrait of Pope John Paul II is visible and the cross is on the back. These coins were minted in Italian lira and were available in various denominations, including 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lira. In 2000, the Vatican issued a new series of coins to commemorate the commemorative year. 2000 was the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. On these coins II. A portrait of Pope János Pál can be seen on the obverse, the cross and Saint Peter's Square are depicted on the reverse. II. The last coins of Pope John Paul II were minted in 2005, the year of his death. These coins show the portrait of the Pope on the obverse and the coat of arms of the Vatican on the reverse. II. Coins minted by Pope John Paul II are popular among collectors.