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Pope nears end of Slovakia trip

A tired and weary Pope John Paul was due to wrap up his gruelling four-day tour of Slovakia yesterday with many fearing deteriorating health could make this his last visit to the region.

The 83-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic church, who has Parkinson's disease and can no longer walk, has looked exceptionally weak on his 102nd trip abroad, needing help delivering prayers and speeches.

On Sunday, he will attend his third outdoor mass in as many days, in a suburb of the capital, Bratislava, before flying back to the Vatican to rest after his last foreign trip of the year.

The Bratislava mass is expected to be the religious highlight of the trip. The Slav pope, born in neighboring Poland, is to beatify nun Zdenka Schelingova and Bishop Basile Hopko who were persecuted by the communists in the 1950s.

Pilgrims from across central Europe have flocked to Slovakia for what they fear may be their last chance to see the pope who was elected nearly 25 years ago.

"I will definitely go to see him tomorrow. We have to respect a man who has done so much for the Church, and continues to do so even though it is difficult for him," said 49-year-old Ivana Vittova, a housewife and mother of three in Bratislava.

"I want my children to see him, to be inspired by him. They may not get another chance."

The pope started the trip on Thursday and was so weak that aides had to help him finish his two speeches.

His strength bounced back a bit on Friday, when he spoke in a clearer and firmer voice, but on Saturday he seemed weak again as he presided at mass, and sounded short of breath at times.

He read only brief parts of his sermon in Slovak and Hungarian on Saturday. In what has now become a regular feature of the tour, a Slovak cardinal read most of it for him.

In the past, Vatican officials at times have been loathe to speak about the pope's condition, but on the Slovakia trip they have praised him for pressing on despite obviously debilitating health problems.

They have also said the pope is likely to accept at least one of four invitations to travel abroad next year.
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