Thousands flock to papal party

PRIESTS and presidents, pilgrims and politicians arrived in Rome from around the world yesterday to fete an ailing Pope John Paul as he prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of his historic pontificate today.

The 83-year-old Pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and can no longer walk, appeared in improved health at his general audience in St Peter's Square, one day before the anniversary. His voice was much clearer than it has been recently and he clearly recognised cardinals who greeted him at the end of the audience.

"I would like to express my gratitude for the good wishes and prayers that people have made for the 25th anniversary of my pontificate," he said in Italian.

He invited everyone to join him in St Peter's Square tomorrow evening for a mass at about the same time as he first appeared to the world as Pope on October 16, 1978, minutes after he was elected the first non-Italian pontiff in 455 years.

Among the cardinals was Bernard Law, the former archbishop of Boston who resigned after a child sex scandal that began in his diocese and swept across the United States last year.

Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and former Polish President Lech Walesa, the leader of the Solidarity free trade union whose rise led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, were also expected in Rome.

Nuns, children, workers and even US astronauts are also descending on the Vatican for the occasion.

"It is very exciting, almost as exciting as being in space, maybe more exciting," said Mike Massimino, who took part in a 2002 mission aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

As the anniversary celebrations approached, papal aides tried to reassure the faithful that the Pope was still at the helm of the one-billion-member Roman Catholic Church.

"His mind is clear, he knows what he wants and he is in possession of the church, of the universal church and of Rome," said Cardinal Pio Laghi, a close papal aide.

"He knows what he wants, but at the same time certainly you can see that he moves very slowly, sometimes he needs a wheelchair, and certainly the voice is not so clear."

"I think he suffers for that because sometimes it is hard for him to communicate and I think he is the greatest communicator in the world," Cardinal Laghi said.

The cardinal, whom the Pope sent to the US last March in a vail attempt to persuade US President George W Bush not to attack Iraq, said the Pope would not resign: "It's absolutely out of the question."

The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V, who stepped down in 1294. Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415 when there was more than one pope reigning at the same time.

A high point of the activities will be the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sunday. The festivities climax on October 21 when the Pope elevates 31 prelates to the College of Cardinals, the elite group that which will choose his successor after he dies.