Pope John Paul II delivers his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (Latin for "to the City and the World") blessing to the faithful from the central balcony of St. Peter's basilica during the traditional Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican, Sunday April 7, 1996. (AP Photo/Arturo Mari)

Pope John Paul II closes the doors of a confessional booth in St. Peter's Basilica prior to hearing confessions from the faithful on Good Friday at the Vatican Friday April 5, 1996. (AP Photo/Luciano Mellace,Pool)

Pope John Paul II holds an olive branch after celebrating an outdoor mass in St. Peter's Square Sunday, March 31, 1996 to mark Palm Sunday. The Pope, who appeared to be in good shape after illness caused him to cancel an appearance March 13, appealed for the release of seven French monks kidnapped in Algeria. (AP Photo/Giulio Broglio)

Pope John Paul II addresses pilgrims and faithful from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's square Sunday, March 24, 1996. The Pontiff, saying the Bible demands wise use of nature, appealed for a

Pope John Paul II blesses the faithful in St. Peter's square from the window of his apartment at the Vatican Sunday, February 18 1996. The Pope, who on Monday returned from his 69th foreign tour, this time in Central America, on Sunday said he hopes to keep up his travels. Later this year he plans to go to Germany, Slovenia and France. (AP Photo/Bruno Mosconi)

Pope John Paul II waves to a crowd before celebrating Mass at the Virgin of Coromoto cathedral near Gunare, Venezuela, Saturday Feb. 10, 1996. An enthusiastic crowd of about 150,000 people welcomed the pope to the hot, rural plains of Venezuela, where he is to bless the Virgin of Coromoto cathedral, reportedly the largest built this century in the Westen Hemisphere. (AP Photo/Gulio Broglio)

Pope John Paul II waves to the crowd in San Salvador, El Salvador, as he arrives to offer Mass, Thursday, Feb. 8, 1996. Returning for the first time since civil war ended four years ago, but where deep bitterness still divides left and right, the Pope said the end of the superpower rivalry has given El Salvador a golden opportunity for peace. The Pope will be in El Salvador Thursday as part of his four country visit to Latin America. (AP Photo/Douglas Engle)

Pope John Paul II, left, sits with eyes closed in the cold during a Mass at the Villa Santa Maria fields in Esquipulas, Guatemala, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 1996. The pope cut short his visit to Esquipulas, a town near the Guatemala-Honduras border, because of bad weather. (AP Photo/Scott Sady)

Pope John Paul II holds a candle during the Candlemas celebration in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday , February 2, 1996, The Candlemas is the Catholic feast of the Purification of Our Lady, and is so called because the principal Mass is preceded by the blessing and distribution of candles. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope John Paul II speaks from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square during the noon blessing ceremony Sunday Dec. 31, 1995. The Pope told followers to live out the last hours of 1995 well as he appeared in form after a bout with the flu. ''I wish everybody a Happy New Year'' said the Pope after reading a speech about the importance of family life. (AP Photo/Bruno Mosconi)

Pope John Paul II reacts to cheering faithful and pilgrims at the end of weekly general audience inside Paul VI hall at the Vatican Wednesday, Nov.8 1995. (Ap Photo/Bruno Mosconi)

Pope John Paul II prays while visiting the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore Sunday Oct. 8, 1995. (AP Photo/Joe Marquette)

Pope John Paul II waves to the cheers of Catholic followers as he arrives at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. Friday evening Oct. 6, 1995. The pope was at St. Joseph's for vespers and to address the seminarians on the call to religious vocations. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Pope John Paul II waves to the audience at the United Nations General Assembly where he addressed the 50th session in New York, Thursday Oct. 5, 1995. Warning of the dangers of extreme nationalism, the pope, in his address to the U.N. General Assembly, implored the world body to become an authentic force for peace so that the ??tears of this century'' give way to a ??new springtime of the human spirit.'' (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)

Pope John Paul II waves to the crowd at Giants Stadium holding a crucifix during a Mass in East Rutherford, N.J., Thursday, Oct. 5, 1995. (AP Photo/POOL, Kathy Willens)

Pope John Paul II is seen after his arrival to the United Nations Thursday Oct. 5, 1995. The pope visited the United Nations Thursday for the first time in 16 years, bearing a message that rich countries must do more to help the poor. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Pope John Paul II waves to crowds from the altar as he prepares to celebrate Mass at Gosforth Park near Johannesburg Sept. 17 1995. The Roman Catholic leader visits New York and New Jersey and Maryland in early October,his fourth trip to the United States. (AP Photo/John Moore)

Pope John Paul II makes a blessing from the altar during the celebration of an open-air mass in the huge concave of Montorso, near Loreto, attended by about 400,000 young prilgrims, Sunday, Sept. 10, 1995. The Pope is on a two-day pastoral visit to this shrine city for a festival of hope with young Europeans. (Ap Photo/Giulio Broglio)

Pope John Paul II blesses the faithful during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Wednesday July 12, 1995. The Pontiff offered his sympathy for the victims of the bombing of a Sri Lankan church. The Pope will leave in the afternoon for Introd on the North-West Italian Alps where he will spend a ten-day vacation. (AP Photo/Giulio Broglio)

Pope John Paul II greets spectators during a mass in Kosice, eastern Slovakia Sunday, July 2, 1995. More than one hundred thousand people came to an airfield near the Ukrainian border to attend a mass. The pope is on a four-day-trip to Slovakia. (AP Photo/Giulio Broglio)