In October 1978, Wojtyla became the first Slavic pope ever and the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. He took the name John Paul II.

Click here to listen to the words of John Paul II from October 16, 1978 when he was elected the Vicar of Christ. Archive: 1.37 MB Time: 4:46 Here below is the translation: Cardinal Pericle Felici began: "I announce to you a great joy. We have a Pope. Most eminent and reverend, Karol, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Wojtyla." John Paul II then began to speak: "Praise be Jesus Christ! Dear brothers and sisters, we are all still grieved after the death of our most beloved John Paul I. And now the eminent cardinals have called a new Bishop of Rome. They have called him from a far country: far, but always near through the communion of faith and in the Christian tradition. I was afraid to receive this nomination, but I did it in the spirit of obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ and in total confidence in his Mother, the most holy Madonna. "I don´t know if I can make myself clear in your -- in our -- Italian language. If I make a mistake, you will correct me. And so I present myself to you all, to confess our common faith, our hope, our trust in the Mother of Christ and of the Church, and also to start anew on this road of history and the Church, with the help of God and with the help of men."

(October 17, 2003)