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 The remarkable presence of Pope John Paul II for World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto was the third official visit that the Holy Father has made to Canada. More than 800,000 people crowded into Downsview Park for the closing papal Mass July 28, 2002. The pope spent 6 days in and around Toronto, meeting with young people from around the four corners of the globe. The event was heavily covered by media from around the world, allowing millions of people to follow the main celebrations in many languages.
In 1984, John Paul II became the first Pope to step foot on Canadian soil when he launched a 12-day pastoral visit. When he arrived on September 9 in the Quebec City suburb of Ste. Foye, the Holy Father began a 15,000 kilometre marathon that took him from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When the visit ended on September 20, he had visited Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Montreal, St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, Toronto, Midland, Winnipeg/St. Boniface, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Vancouver and Ottawa-Hull. Millions of Canadians turned out to greet him, pray with him and to celebrate.
Speaking to crowds in English and in French, the two official languages of Canada, the Holy Father made more than 30 major addresses as well as many other statements. Gathered with tens of thousands of young people in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, the Pope used the WYD theme of light to address his audience: “I wish to speak to you about the light of Christ, because it is as a witness of the Redeemer that I have come before you … Listen to what I tell you: I am the light of the world. He who comes after me will not be walking in the shadows, there will be light to lead him to life.”
In June 1987, John Paul II returned to Canada, this time to meet the people of Fort Simpson in the North West Territories. During his first visit in 1984, severe weather conditions forced the cancellation of this portion of the trip to visit with Aboriginal Peoples in from the North.
Addresses, Speeches and Homilies of John Paul II during his visits to Canada
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Church in Canada and World 
