Pope John Paul II kisses a little child upon arrival at Rome's parish church of St. Maddalena di Canossa Sunday, April 21 1996. The Pontiff, joining increasing calls against the use of land mines, urged that a U.N.-sponsored conference in Geneva agree on a total ban on their production and trade. (Ap Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Pope John Paul II hugs a little girl Sunday Feb. 11, 1996 in the outskirts of Caracas, Venezuela, during a meeting with Christian youths in the the last event before his scheduled return to Rome. John Paul's trip began Feb. 5. Before arriving Friday in this South American nation of 22 million, he stopped in Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador. (AP Photo/Diego Giudice)

Pope John Paul II kisses local children as they greet him at the llopango Airport in San Salvador, 08 February 1996, as he arrives for a one-day visit to the Salvadoran capital. The Pope is on the third leg of a four country Latin American tour.

Pope John Paul II caresses a child as he visits one of Rome's parish churches Sunday, February 4, 1996. The Pontiff, who on Monday leaves for his latest visit to Central America, on Sunday expressed the hope that his stop in Nicaragua will be

Pope John Paul II looks at a dove and says "Go to Sarajevo" after he delivered the noon blessing from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's square at the Vatican Sunday, Jan. 28, 1996. Sunday was the Church's day devoted to leprosy victims and the Pontiff praised the efforts of Catholic youth groups for peace. After his remarks, two unidentified children appeared at his side to release doves into the air. (Ap Photo/Bruno Mosconi)

Pope John Paul II bows to kiss a sleeping child during his first parish visit of the year to St. Anthony of Padua's church near Rome's ancient Appian Way, Sunday, January 21, 1996. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Pope John Paul II hugs an unidentifed boy during his visit to to the Saint Anthony of Padua parish in Rome, January 21, 1996. The Pope, who has just been through a rough year, is now awaiting a rejuvenating four-day trip to Paris where he'll be in the company of young people who have come from around the globe to celebrate the church's world Youth Day. Like the beloved mountains of his own youth in southern Poland, the boys and girls who are the future of his church, usually do him wonders. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Pope John Paul II caresses a child upon his arrival to visit a parish church in a working-class area on the southern edge of Rome, Sunday, Nov. 19, 1995. The pope told some small children Sunday he hopes to share a big date with them: the millennium. ??Maybe the Lord will permit us to see 2000,'' said the pontiff, who appeared in good health and spirits. (Ap Photo/Bruno Mosconi)

Pope John Paul II reaches out to Caitlin Foggin, 2, of Tinton Falls, N.J., at Newark International Airport in Newark, N.J., Sunday, Oct. 8, 1995. Foggin is the daughter of Port Authority Police Patrolman Ward Foggin. The pope departed from Newark to travel to Baltimore after a four-day visit to the New York-New Jersey area. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)

Pope John Paul II hugged two children after he descended from a plane at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Baltimore Sunday Oct. 8, 1995. (AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti)

Pope John Paul II makes faces in an effort to comfort a wailing infant during the general audience in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square, Wednesday Sept. 13, 1995. During the audience the Pope summoned the Roman Catholic bishop's of former Yugoslavia to the Vatican next month to discuss the Church's contributions to the peace effort in Bosnia. The pope Thursday begins a trip to Africa which will be highlighted by his first visit to post-apartheid South Africa. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II greets a young girl holding a bouquet of flowers after arriving 05 Feb in the Ugandan capital for a five-day visit. The pontiff was greeted at Entebbe airport by Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PHOTO Pope John Paul II blesses a child during a visit to a children's hospital 13 October, 1992 in Santo Domingo. The Pope winds up a five-day visit to the Dominican Republic 14 October.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II greets a young Guinean girl 24 February 1992 in Conakry. The pontiff visited Senegal, Gambia and Guinea from 19 to 26 February. It was his 54th International Pastoral visit .

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP (FILES) Pope John Paul II is seen in this file picture taken 10 May 1990 in Vila Hermosa, blesses a child as he enters the new cathedral during his week-long visit to Mexico.

Pope John Paul II holds up a baby prior to a "ceremony of the world" 26 January 1990 in the Fouthina stadium of Midelo S. Vincente island on the second day of his trip to this West African archipelago nation..AFP PHOTO DERRICK CEYRAC

Pope John Paul II hugs a young Mauritius child Monday, Oct. 16, 1989 during his visit to Mauritius. (AP Photo/Pool)

Three eleven-year-old children greet Pope John Paul II with flowers to celebrate his eleven years as the head of the Catholic Church, after Mass on Rodrigues Island, Maurtius, Oct. 15, 1989

Pope John Paul II gives a kiss to a local boy upon his arrival in Dili, East Timor, Oct. 13, 1989. (AP Photo/Staff/Marquez)

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP (FILES) Pope John Paul II (2nd R) hands small gifts to traditionally dressed East Timorese people upon his arrival in East Timor's capital Dili before delivering a Mass 12 October 1989. The Pope called 19 March for a "prompt" international settlement for East Timor. On the right is Nobel laureate and East Timorese Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo.