Cardinal Karol Wojtyła is elected to the papacy as Pope John Paul II, he becomes the first non-Italian pontiff since 1523.
A conclave was held from 14 to 16 October 1978 to elect a new pope to succeed John Paul I, who had died on 28 September 1978, just 33 days after his election. All 111 eligible cardinal electors attended. On the eighth ballot, the conclave elected Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the archbishop of Kraków. After accepting his election, he took the name John Paul II.
The second conclave in the year, this was the latest conclave to include all eligible cardinal electors.
Watch: Cardinal Wojtyla arrives for the October 1978 conclave that made him Pope John Paul II #shorts
From the The Popecast: A History of the Papacy channel.
Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — October 1978 conclave, Pope John Paul II (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.
