Cartoon
and documentary recounts Pope John Paul II’s life and
teachings
The cartoon, John Paul II:
The Friend of All Humanity, and an accompanying documentary, John Paul II by
John Paul II, were presented to reporters at an October press conference. Developer
of both projects was Spanish cartoonist J.L. Lopez-Guardia, (aka Cavin Cooper), in
consultation with the
The multi-lingual films
(Spanish, English, and Italian), are expected to be released for sale on DVD
prior to Christmas.
U.S. Archbishop John P.
Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said
Lopez-Guardia effectively used animation to recount Pope John Paul's life and
teaching, and especially his "message of love and peace.”
“This is a useful tool for a
family gathered in front of the television to remember the life of this great
pope," he said.
The animated movie will show
the history of a man who rose from war-torn
Two animated doves, named
Piccolo and Fiona, will narrate the film. This, according to Lopez-Guardia, was
deliberate since the late pope was often photographed surrounded by such birds.
Father Lombard, director of
Vatican TV, said he agreed to assist Lopez-Guardia because "I always
thought it was important to have biographies of saints adapted for children and
young people, in their own language."
The cartoonist said using
animation not only allowed him to produce a film children would find
interesting and informative, but also it gave him the freedom to portray the
human side of Pope John Paul, especially in his youth. The youthful scenes
include the future pope playing soccer, skiing with his older brother, acting
in an amateur production, playing with friends and praying often.
But the cartoon also speaks
about the suffering the future pope endured: the deaths of his mother, brother,
and father; the German invasion of
The cartoon begins with the
April 2005 death of the pope, then lets Piccolo and
Fiona tell the story of his youth, ministry as a bishop of
The documentary takes over from there, using television footage of the pope to accompany his own words about the value of human life, the talents and needs of young people, the cry of the poor for justice and the yearning for peace in the world.