Papa Wojtyla Pope John Paul II is an Italian jacquard wall tapestry. It depicts Pope John Paul II in his full papal vestments. He was elected by the second Papal conclave of 1978 and served as Pope until his death in 2005. In the years since his death, John Paul II has since been made a saint by the Church. John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe and for significantly improving the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.