The
monument represents Pope John Paul II as a traveller and pilgrim saluting
people while walking on a wave as the wind pulls at his chasuble. The author of
the monument that was erected in October 2014 is the young sculptor Vid Vučak.
Pope John Paul II began his third pastoral visit to Croatia on 5 June 2003 when
his airplane landed at the airport in Omišalj.
In the
statue of the pope, a work by the sculptor Vid Vučak, we recognize reality and
symbolism: the pope looks at us cheerfully and, leaning on the cross, reaches
his hand out to bless us. His figure looks like a sail defying a strong bura
wind, and we know very well that the inhabitants of the island have always
known which way the wind blows. The pope does not stand in an elevated place
like certain people in power who want to stand out and be visible: he was
always close to the people, and his statue here is placed so as to be close to
ordinary people so that they can touch it with their hands.
The pedestal
beneath him is raised slightly, as if to say that he lifts our spirit and body. Beneath it, there are round pebbles from the shore, which reminds us of the
island landscape and a song that the pope was particularly fond of: "Lord,
You Have Come to the Seashore". In front of the statue, there are
concentric circles that recall the sea that surrounds us and the waves that
spread out, while the greenery in the center represents the Kvarner islands. At
the rear, the statue is surrounded by seven typical trees of the island of Krk,
seven mulberries that represent the seven island municipalities. Above all, in
the statue of the Holy Father, believers recognize a heavenly counsel, one that
they can refer to, and to whom they can offer a prayer. Indeed, the inscription
beneath the statue reads: Holy Father John Paul II, pray for us!