John Paul II (born May 18, 1920, Wadowice, Poland—died April 2, 2005, Vatican City, original name Karol Józef Wojtyła), was the head of the Catholic Church between 1978 and 2005. As the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, his first papal voyage in 1979 was to a communist country behind the Iron Curtain - his native Poland. He inspired his fellow Polish by pleading them ‘not to be afraid’ and stand for their freedom and dignity, and extended full support to the Solidarity movement. Ultimately, his influence thrusted the decay of communism in the whole of Europe.