Visited Guam in 1981

Although short, Pope John Paul II’s visit to Guam will forever be remembered in the history and hearts of the island and its people.

Pope John Paul II arrived in Guam during the evening of 22 February 1981. The Pontiff had just completed a five day visit to the Philippines and planned to stay in Guam for 18 hours before leaving for a three day visit to Japan.

Ten thousand eager and faithful islanders greeted Pope John Paul II upon his arrival at the Guam International Airport. John Paul II kissed the ground after exiting his plane, and said, “Dear brothers and sisters, with a heart full of gratitude, I set foot on your native soil and kiss it as an expression of respect and reverence for the people of this territory.”

The Pontiff then greeted the large crowd before giving an approximately ten minute long speech. In his speech, John Paul II said, “I give thanks to almighty God in whose wonderful Providence I am allowed to greet the people of Guam and all the other Marianas Islands,” and incorporated numerous CHamoru words and phrases.

After leaving the airport, Pope John Paul II made his way over to Hagåtña for a closed gathering  at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica where he prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament, gave another brief speech, and blessed the local clergy, religious people, and lay people in attendance. John Paul II departed the Cathedral-Basilica after the closed gathering to spend the night in the Bishop’s residence, located on top of San Ramon Hill.

Pope John Paul II made a visit to the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) the following morning to greet and bless chronically-ill patients. Arches, or atkos, were constructed and decorated to stretch over Hagåtña streets and GMH’s entrance to welcome the Pontiff to the island. These green or wooden arches featured phrases like, “Biba Santo Papa” and “Bendise Ham Santo Papa.”

Celebrated mass in Hagåtña

After his visit to GMH, Pope John Paul II celebrated a public, open-air mass on an outdoor altar placed in the Plaza de España and Skinner Plaza areas, adjacent to the Cathedral-Basilica. A tall, large dome structure, constructed specifically to look like the Cathedral-Basilica, was placed over the altar’s center. Also on the altar was an 18 by 18 foot guåfak mat, woven and donated by manåmko’ from Rota for the Pontiff’s visit. The large outdoor area was utilized to accommodate the crowd of over 50,000 people expected to attend the Pontiff’s public, open-air mass. However, only about 15,000 people actually attended.

The unexpectedly low attendance at Pope John Paul II’s public, open-air mass could be due to the public possibly perceiving restricted access to the mass because of road closures, tight security, and a belief that the mass would be too crowded. The public may also have opted to watch the mass on television from the comfort of their own homes instead.

Notable events in Guam’s Catholic history

In the years following Pope John Paul II’s visit, several notable events occurred in Guam’s Catholic history. The island’s diocese was elevated to the Archdiocese and Metropolitan Province of Agaña on 8 March 1984, and the beautification of Diego Luis de San Vitores happened on 6 October 1985 by John Paul II. The Pontiff’s visit to Guam was also memorable as it was one of the last visits he made before his first assassination attempt on 13 May 1981.

To commemorate Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Guam, a bronze monument was erected near the spot where he celebrated the public, open-air mass for the island’s community. The Santo Papa Juan Dos Monument currently stands on a concrete pedestal built on a road median between the Guam Museum and Plaza de España in Hagåtña. The statue makes a full revolution every 12 hours.

Pope John Paul II was the longest serving pontiff in history. His papacy began on 16 October 1978 and ended with his death on 2 April 2005. John Paul II eventually became a saint, having been proclaimed venerable on 19 December 2009; beatified on 1 May 2011; and canonized on 27 April 2014.

By Lincoln Budasi

Editor’s note: For this entry, author Lincoln Budasi conducted a research interview with Påle’ Eric Forbes on 26 September 2023.

For further reading

Diaz, Tony C. “Catholics on Guam recall highlights, excitement of pope’s visit in 1981.” The Leaven, 23 February 2016.

Guam Museum. “February 1981, Pope John Paul II visited Guam.” 27 March 2024.

Iyechad, Gwenda. “Pope Draws Small, Subdued Crowd in Guam.” The Washington Post, 22 February 1981.

JRM Guam. “REWIND: Pope John Paul II’s visit to Guam.” 10 February 2016. YouTube video, 2:45.