Pope celebrates birthday with gifts of sainthood

POPE John Paul II celebrated his 83rd birthday yesterday carrying out one of his favourite tasks — creating new saints as role models for members of the Catholic Church.

Before thousands of faithful in St Peters Square, the white-haired pontiff elevated two fellow Poles and two Italians all founders of religious orders to sainthood.

The Mass was celebrated a day after a top Vatican official confirmed what many observers have long suspected that the Pope suffers from Parkinson's disease.