He was aware that many, not least in the Roman Curia, criticised him for his frequent journeys, but remarked "that very fact convinces me they should be made". On June 28th, 1980, he said "the Pope travels to announce the Gospel, to strengthen the brethren in their faith, to consolidate the Church, to meet the people They are voyages of love, of peace, of universal brotherhood In these meetings with souls, in view of the immensity of the crowds, the modern-day charism of Peter at the crossroads of the world manifests itself" .

The first Slav pope ever and the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, an early visit was a return home to Poland, in June 1979. Some historians claim it helped end the Cold War, with Pope John Paul giving his blessing to the Solidarity labour movement, which later played such a huge role in Poland.

However, his very first journey abroad was to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Bahamas, in January 1979. The fifth trip of his pontificate, in September 1979, was to Ireland.

On a visit to Turkey in November 1979 he was stalked by Mehmet Ali Agca who, six months later, opened fire on him while he was circling St Peter's Square before his usual Wednesday general audience at the Vatican in May 1981. Pope John Paul spent more than two months recovering in hospital.

During trips in the 1980s he reaffirmed Church teaching on controversial issues such as abortion, birth control and the ordination of women. He communicated in eight languages, and usually in the language of the country he was visiting.

His historic five-day journey to Cuba in January 1998 celebrated Catholicism and urged Cubans everywhere to find "new paths" of reconciliation. He met the Cuban President Fidel Castro and, in his closing remarks, condemned the US embargo state.

Deteriorating health and age forced this most travelled Pope to reduce his journeys abroad in the latter years of his papacy.