Bosnia's capital of Sarajevo has unveiled a statue of late Pope John Paul II to honor his efforts to promote peace and reconciliation during and after Bosnia's 1992-1995 war.
The three-meter-high statue was unveiled on April 30 in front the Catholic cathedral.
Bakir Izetbegovic, the Muslim member of Bosnia's presidency told the crowd attending the ceremony that during the war, the pope's words "were perceived as messages of hope in Bosnia, especially in Sarajevo.
During the war, Sarajevo endured 1,425 days under siege by Serbian forces.
Pope John Paul II visited Bosnia twice after the war ended -- first in 1997, and then again in 2003.
Popes John Paul and John XXIII were proclaimed as saints by Pope Francis on April 27.
