John Paul II Foundation was established by a Papal Decree of October 16, 1981 as a religious, educational, charitable and non-profit organization. Its official seat is located at the Vatican. The Foundation owns a building in Rome at 1200 via Cassia where the secretarial offices are located. The main goals of the Foundation are:

• preservation and development of the Christian heritage and culture;
• collection and preservation of documents and propagation of the teachings of Pope John Paul II;
• assistance to Christian pilgrims on visits to the Holy See, particularly pilgrims from Poland and Eastern countries;
• providing educational assistance and scholarships to young intellectuals from Eastern countries to study at the Catholic University in Lublin, Poland.