Visit of Pope John Paul II to Cardiff on 2 June 1982

The visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Cardiff on 2 June 1982 was an event of considerable religious importance to the principality and in particular to the Roman Catholic community (Figure 1). The planning that preceded the vist was of some magnitude and involved a number of different working parties. The Working Party on Medical and Nursing Arrangements was responsible for theplanning, organization and control of medical resources on a large scale. It was necessary to ensure that First Aid and Casualty reception facilities would be provided at the papal venues as well as ensuring that the local hospitals would be prepared to accept an increased number of emergency admissions. Special emergency resuscitation facilities were also made available for His Holiness for the duration of his visit.