PHOTO: WOJTEK LASKI/EAST NEWS Druga pielgrzymka papieza Jana Pawla II do Polski, Warszawa, 1983.

Climbing the stairs of the altar, Pope John Paul II bids farewell to "people of the sea" 11 June 1987 in the northern Polish harbour of Gdynia during his vis to Poland. AFP PHOTO ERIC FEFERBERG

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PHOTO Colorado: Pope John Paul II looks out at the estimated crowd of 200,000 people attending a 14 Aug prayer vigil for World Youth Day. The crowd gathered at Cherry Creek State Park heard the pope lash out at abortion, calling it "the slaughter of innocent human beings.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John-Paul II smiles as he plays with a koala 25 November 1986 in Brisbane during his visit to Australia.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Cuban President Fidel Castro(L) looks at his watch as he and Pope John Paul II(R) walk on the tarmac of the Jose Marti international airport in Havana 21 January moments after the Pope arrived for a five-day four-city tour of the island-nation. This is the first-ever papal visit to Cuba. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Michel GANGNE

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II tries on a sombrero, the traditional Mexican hat, during his 22 January flight to Mexico City. The Pope is making his fourth visit in twenty years to Mexico, the world's second largest Roman Catholic country. AFP PHOTO/POOL/Massimo SAMBUCETTI

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PAPIEZ 1991 BRAZYLIA

PHOTO: LASKI DIFFUSION / EAST NEWS As cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Blessed John Paul visited Australia in 1973 for the 40th Eucharistic Congress in Melbourne, Australia, 1973.

Pope John Paul II tickles the nose of an unnamed child as he arrives at the parish church of St. Cleto in Rome Sunday, Jan.28 1996. During his visit the pope made note of the fact that Sunday was the Church's day devoted to leprosy victims and he praised the efforts of Catholic youth groups for peace. (Ap Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Smiling Pope John Paul II looks out at the estimated crowd of 200,000 Americans attending 14 August 1993 in Denver a prayer vigil for World Youth Day. The crowd gathered at Cherry Creek State Park heard the pope lash out at abortion, calling it "the slaughter of innocent human beings". AFP PHOTO J. DAVID AKE

Pope John Paul II greets wellwishers 07 May 1990 in Veracruz while he has his robe pulled by an admirer upon his arrival at the El Malecon in the port of Veracruz during his visit to Mexico.AFP PHOTO DERRICK CEYRAC

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/ WOJTEK LASKI/POOL L.OR Papiez Jan Pawel II i kardynal Joseph Ratzinger - Prefekt Kongregacji Nauki Wiary, Watykan, lata 80.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/ WOJTEK LASKI/POOL L.OR Matka Teresa z Kalkuty i papiez Jan Pawel II, audiencja w Watykanie, 1983.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/WOJTEK LASKI Siodma pielgrzymka papieza Jana Pawla II do Polski, Wadowice, 16.06.1999 N/z: papiez podczas spotkania z mieszkancami miasta Wadowice, Poland 16.06.1999 6th visit, pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland. The Pope celebrates the Holy Mass in his home town, Wadowice.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP A tired looking pope John Paul II looks Polish child dressed in traditional costume during the mass in Krakow's Blonie ground 18 August 2002. The pope, who will visit his parent's graves later on Sunday, looked somewhat tired during the mass but completed the three-hour service.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PHOTO Pope John Paul II receives honour guard during the welkomes ceremony for his arrival at the international airport of Krakow Balice August 16, 2002. The 82-year-old pontiff, who faces a daily battle against the effects of Parkinson's disease and arthritis has become increasingly frail in recent months, is making his ninth papal visit to his home country of Poland spending four days in and around Krakow, where he was archbishop before his surprise election as pope in 1978

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP A Swiss Guard salutes Pope John Paul II 21 May 2001 upon his arrival at the Vatican to open a rare, special session of the so-called Sacred College of Cardinals, bringing together more than 180 cardinals to discuss the Roman Catholic Church's role in the third millennium. AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS

Pope John Paul II touches the ball given to him by Rome's forward Argentinean Batistuta (L) 29 October 2000 while Italian Soccer President Franco Carraro at back smiles at the Olympic Stadium in Rome after the soccer match between the Italian national team and a team of foreign stars who play in the Italian soccer league. The event was part of a sporting jubilee during which he called on athletes to return to important values and to use sport to overcome language and race barriers. AFP PHOTO EPA-POOL/OSSERVATORE ROMANO

PHOTO: EAST NEWS PAPIEZ JAN PAWEL II PATRZY NA TANCERZY PODCZAS SPOTKANIA Z MLODZIEZA W RZYMIE Pope John Paul II (C) watches dancers 20 August 2000 during a mass at the Tor Vergata university campus near Rome at the end of World Youth Day celebrations. Some two million youths took part in the event. AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS

A Swiss guard, right, salutes Pope John Paul II as he leaves the Paul VI hall at the Vatican at the end of a meeting with members of the Italian Magistrates Association, Friday, March 31, 2000. The pope named a new bishop Friday in Mexico's troubled Chiapas state, ending a long search for a successor to the vocal defender of Indian rights who led the diocese for 40 years. The new bishop for the largely Indian diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas is Monsignor Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, 59, who has beenserving as bishop of another Chiapas city, Tapachula, on Mexico's border with Guatemala. (AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti)