Pope Asks for Prayers to Continue His Mission
VATICAN CITY
A suffering Pope John Paul II struggled to get through a long Vatican ceremony in which he declared five new Roman Catholic saints and asked for prayers to be able to continue his mission.
The Mass in St. Peter’s Square was seen as an indication of the pope’s strength ahead of a five-day trip and came after renewed speculation about whether he might one day decide to retire. The travel, beginning Wednesday, will take him to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.
The 82-year-old pontiff sat through much of the ceremony, during which he created Brazil’s first saint, Mother Paulina.
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