Pope on the Slope: Pope John Paul...

Pope on the Slope: Pope John Paul II, the skiing fiend, once again slipped away to the slopes 60 miles northeast of Rome Friday. Slope managers cleared a section so John Paul, clad in blue ski overalls, could schuss without distractions, while ski teachers and police kept an eye on the Pope from a discreet distance. John Paul has sneaked away to ski four earlier times since becoming Pope in 1978.

Another Thrill: Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was married Saturday in Houston to former University of Texas quarterback Shannon Kelley. The gymnast said she was thrilled by the medal and the marriage: “One is competition where I was trained and confident. With the wedding, I’m confident, but this is every girl’s dream, having their dad walk them down the aisle and give them to the man she will spend the rest of her life with.”

Engaged: The Rev. George Stallings Jr., a former Roman Catholic priest who was excommunicated after forming a church for disenchanted black Catholics, said in New Orleans he’s getting married. Stallings, head of the Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation, announced his engagement to Houston attorney Candace Mosly. “He said he’s wanted to get married and have children for a long time,” Stallings’ spokesman said. His church allows optional celibacy for priests and the ordination of women.

No Weighting: Those reporters whose exercise is limited to lifting drinks and elbowing their way around buffet tables may be banned from covering missions in the Persian Gulf. Newsweek magazine says the Pentagon is considering a plan to make reporters do sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run before getting permits to follow the troops on missions. “Seconds count in the field,” said one officer. “We can’t ask soldiers to wait around for some out-of-shape reporter to catch up.”