Pope Ends His Poland Trip With Emotional Send-Off

Pope John Paul II stretched out his Polish pilgrimage for a few hours of emotional visits with adoring faithful before flying off Thursday, blessing “my homeland, beloved country” and hinting that he may return.

He lingered on the steps of the plane, waving and blessing the flag-waving crowd that chanted: “We love you. Come again.” Some wept openly as he bade farewell before his plane took off on a flight that arrived in the evening in Rome.

It was a rousing finish to the longest trip to any single country of his 20-year papacy.

The Vatican dropped a trip to Armenia planned today and postponed a Sunday visit to a sanctuary in Rome to give John Paul more time to rest. The 79-year-old pontiff fell and cut his head last week, and the flu forced him to miss Tuesday’s huge Mass here in his former diocese.

During his 13-day pilgrimage, John Paul visited 21 cities and towns at events attended by more than 8 million people, according to police figures. He delayed his departure by more than four hours Thursday to visit Poland’s holiest shrine--the Black Madonna at Czestochowa--and to make up a stop he missed while sick, in the mining town of Gliwice.

Half a million people gathered at Gliwice to hear him. As the crowd implored him to stay longer, John Paul responded: “The next time, we’ll see.”

Earlier, the pope said Mass for a few dozen friends and guests at Krakow’s 14th century Wawel Cathedral.

As in past trips, the pope stopped at Rakowicki cemetery, where his parents, brother and sister are buried.