1978 - 2005

A painting of Pope John Paul II sits on the altar as young couple are married at St. Casimir Parish, a mainly Polish district in Toronto, shortly after the Vatican announced the death of the Pontiff, April 2, 2005. Pope John Paul II, the Pole who headed the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years and played a crucial role in the fall of communism in Europe, died on Saturday evening, the Vatican said. He was 84. [photo: Stringer - Reuters]