Pope John Paul II drove through the streets of Québec City in the popemobile during his September 1984 visit. The police were out in force for the event given that it occurred just a few months after an attack on the National Assembly. A large crowd gathered along the road to welcome the Pope.

1984 - 1984

Pope John Paul II visits in 1984

A frequent traveller, Pope John Paul II made Québec City the first stop on his trip through Canada in September 1984, particularly since it was then the stronghold of the Catholic Church in North America. Despite the Quiet Revolution and the decline of Catholicism in Quebec since the 1960s, the Pope was still very popular. He was welcomed by dignitaries, politicians and religious figures, as well as by a large crowd. John Paul II officiated an open-air mass on the Université Laval campus attended by some 300,000 believers. Were you there?

Pope John Paul II parades down a Québec City street

Clément Thibeault Pope John Paul II drove through the streets of Québec City in the popemobile during his September 1984 visit. The police were out in force for the event given that it occurred just a few months after an attack on the National Assembly. A large crowd gathered along the road to welcome the Pope.

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Depicted period: 1984

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