Anno Domini 1979
January 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 3 Jan - Holy Family - 10 Jan - Mystery of Motherhood - 17 Jan - Christian Unity - 24 Jan - Magi Kings
St JPII's 1st apostolic voyage, to Dominican Republic, Mexico & the Bahamas
25th January - 1st February
UN declare International Year of the Child. The United States & the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. End of large-scale fighting in Cambodian-Vietnamese War. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt.
February 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 7 Feb - CELAM - 14 Feb - Evangelization in Latin America - 21 Feb - Evangelization - 28 Feb - Lent & Conversion
Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years in exile & creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution. Iranian Revolution ends Pahlavi dynasty. The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
March 1979
Encyclical Redemptor Hominis given on 4th March, 1st Sunday of Lent
St JPII's catechesis: 14 Mar - Prayer 21 Mar - Fasting - 28 Mar - Almsgiving
Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. End of major hostilities in Sino-Vietnamese War. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt & Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel sign an Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.
April 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 4 Apr - Metanoia - 11 Apr - Solidarity - 18 Apr - Christ is risen - 25 Apr - Birthday of Rome
Iran's goverment becomes an Islamic Republic.
May 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 2 May - Mother of the Risen Christ 9 May - The Good Shepherd I - 16 May - The Good Shepherd II - 23 May - Christ's mandate - 30 May - The Holy Spirit & Pentecost
June 1979
St JPII's 2nd apostolic voyage, to Poland
2nd - 10th June
St JPII's catechesis: 13 Jun - Corpus Christi 30 Jun - Sacred Heart of Jesus - 27 June - Saints Peter & Paul
Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup. First direct elections to the European Parliament. Jimmy Carter & Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement.
July 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 4 Jul - Baptism of Blood of Church of Rome - 11 Jul - Successors of Peter - 18 Jul - Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana - 25 Jul - Young People
The Sandinista National Liberation Front assumes power in Nicaragua.
August 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 1 Aug - St Paul VI I 8 Aug - St Paul VI II 22 Aug - John Paul I 29 Aug - Children & catechism
September 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 5 Sep - Unity & Indissolubility of Marriage - 12 Sep - Objective definition of man in the first account of Creation - 19 Sep - Subjective definition of man in the second account of creation - 26 Sep - Boundary between original innocence & redemption
October 1979
St JPII's 3rd apostolic pilgrimage, to Ireland, the United Nations & the United States
29th September - 8th October
St JPII's catechesis: 10 Oct - Man in search of the definition of himself - 17 Oct - Pilgrimage to Ireland & USA - 24 Oct - Man's awareness of being a person - 31 Oct - In the definition of man, the alternative between death and immortality
November 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 7 Nov - Original unity of man and woman in humanity - 14 Nov - Through the communion of persons man becomes the image of God - 21 Nov - Marriage one and indissoluble in the first chapters of Genesis
St JPII's 4th apostolic pilgrimage, to Turkey
28th - 30th November
December 1979
St JPII's catechesis: 5 Dec - Pilgrimage to Turkey - 12 Dec - Meaning of man's primordial experiences - 19 Dec - Personalistic fullness of original innocence