PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II takes part in a native ritual performed by indigenous women, during the beatification mass held at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, 01 August 2002. The Pope beatified today two native Mexicans, killed by fellow villagers they denounced for praying to traditional gods in violation of decrees issued by the Spanish colonialists. Beatification is the first step toward declaring a person a saint.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PHOTO Pope John Paul II blesses children as he arrives at the Astana's cathedral to celebrate a mass with priests, monks and seminarists of Kazakhstan and central Asia, 24 September 2001 on the third day of his four day pastoral visit in Kazakhstan, followed by an apostolic voyage in Armenia, on the occasion of the 1700 years of Christianity in the country.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PHOTO A girl offers flowers to Pope John Paul II during a meeting with representatives of science, culture and arts of Kazakhstan, 24 September 2001 in Astana, on the third day of his four-day pastoral visit in Kazakhstan. Pope John Paul II will leave tomorrow for an apostolic voyage in Armenia, on the occasion of the 1700 years of Christianity in the country.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II watches a girl wearing traditional dress during an open air mass celebrated in central Astana 23 September 2001. The 81-year-old Pontiff is at the second day of his visit to Kazakhstan and Armenia.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II gives a present to a young girl in traditional dress during the Holy mass in Astana, 23 September 2001 on the second day of his four-days ' pastoral visit in Kazakhstan, followed by an apostolic voyage in Armenia, on the occasion of the 1700 years of Christianity in the country.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/WOJTEK LASKI 94. podroz apostolska papieza Jana Pawla II, Ukraina, 23.06.2001, Kijow. N/z: papiez - uroczyste powitanie na lotnisku Boryspol JUNE 23, 2001 KIEV, UKRAINE JOHN PAUL II KISSES UKRAINIAN SOIL Pope John Paul II kisses a cup with Ukraine's soil offered by children in traditional costumes upon his arrival in Boryspil airport in Ukraine's capital Kiev. Cardinal Angelo Solano is on the left. The pontiff began Saturday his mission of peace and reconcilation, hoping it will help to calm inter-church tensions in Ukraine, a predominantly orthodox country

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/WOJTEK LASKI 94. podroz apostolska papieza Jana Pawla II, Ukraina, 23.06.2001, Kijow. N/z: mlodziez w strojach regionalnych - uroczyste powitanie na lotnisku Boryspol JUNE 23, 2001 KIEV, UKRAINE UKRAINIAN CHILDREN GREET JOHN PAUL II Pope John Paul II is greeted by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma at the Kiev Boyspil international airport Saturday, June 23, 2001. Pope John Paul II arrived in Ukraine for a five-day visit that will take him to Kiev and Lviv.

Pope John paul II kisses an unidentified baby at the end of a general weekly audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 14, 2001. Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter century and became history's most-traveled pope, has died at 84, the Vatican announced Saturday, April 2, 2005. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II baptises Italian newborn Giuseppina Di Maio as her parents look on during a baptism ceremony in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel at the Vatican 07 January 2001. The Pope baptised 18 newborn babies in a ceremony to mark the Roman Catholic feast of the baptism of Jesus. AFP PHOTO REUTERS POOL/VINCENZO PINTO

Pope John Paul II kisses a young girl during a mass for the Jubilee of the world of show business, in Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City, 17 December 2000. Pope John Paul II called on actors and artists to set "positive and coherent examples" for their audiences . AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II kisses a boy 15 November 2000 during his weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican. AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP Pope John Paul II gives the communion to a boy during the Holy mass for the All Saints ceremony 01 November 2000, on Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS

PHOTO: EAST NEWS JAN PAWEL II UDZIELA KOMUNII SWIETEJ PODCZAS MSZY NA TERENIE UNIWERSYTETU TOR VERGATA PODCZAS SWIATOWEGO DNIA MLODZIEZY Pope John Paul II gives the communion to a volunteer 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

PHOTO: EAST NEWS JAN PAWEL II PODCZAS SWIATOWEGO DNIA MLODZIEZY 2000 W WATYKANIE Pope John Paul II delivers his blessing to the youths on his way from St John in Lateran Bsilica in Rome to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican during the celebration ceremony of the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day, 15 August 2000. Over one million youths from 163 countries are expected to take part to the week-long celebrations.

Pope John Paul II hugs a child at his arrival to the Lisbon Airport,12 May 2000. Pope John Paul II is visiting Fatima Sanctuary for the beatification of the two shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta.

PHOTO: EAST NEWS PIELGRZYMKA JANA PAWLA II DO ZIEMI SWIETEJ: PAPIEZ NA SPOTKANIU INTER-RELIGIJNYM Z RABINEM ASZKENAZYJSKIM YISRAELEM ALUEM I ISLAMSKIM NACZELNYM SEDZIA SZARIACKIM TATZIREM TAMIMI W JEROZOLIMIE. Pope John Paul II reaches his hand out to a Jewish boy during an interfaith meeting in Jerusalem 23 March 2000. Chief Rabbi Israel Lau and Palestinian Muslim cleric Sheikh Tatzir Tamimi issued stinging, rival claims to Jerusalem during the forum with the pontiff, which was designed to promote religious reconciliation. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE)

PHOTO: EAST NEWS PAPIEZ JAN PAWEL II BLOGOSLAWI DZIECKO PODCZAS WIZYTY W EGIPCIE Pope John Paul II blesses a child while Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawai (C), Mufti of al-Azhar, the highest Muslim Sunni authority smiles at the al-Azhar Supreme Council in Cairo 24 February 2000. The Pope arrived in Egypt for a three day visit which will include a trip to Saint Catherine monastry at mount Sinai. Egypt's 300,000 Roman Catholics the country's second largest minority after the copts, out of a population of around 65 million.

Pope John Paul II kisses children during the Children's Jubilee, 02 January 2000, at Saint Peter Square in Vatican City. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE)

Pope John Paul II kisses children during the Children's Jubilee, 02 January 2000, at Saint Peter Square in Vatican City. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE)

PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP PAPIEZ JAN PAWEL II BLOGOSLAWI DZIECKO PODCZAS AUDIENCJI PAPIESKIEJ W WATYKANIE WATYKAN 22/12/1999 Pope John Paul II blesses a baby at the end of the Papal General audience, 22 December 1999 in Vatican. The Jubilee 2000 will start in two days when Pope John Paul II opens the Holy Door at the Saint Peter Basilic. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE)