Pope John Paul, calling himself a sick man among the sick, arrived in the world's premier Roman Catholic "miracle shrine" on Saturday
Published:
16 August 2004 y., Monday
Pope John Paul, calling himself a sick man among the sick, arrived in the world's premier Roman Catholic "miracle shrine" on Saturday and urged society not to cast aside the old and the suffering.
The 84-year-old Pope, racked by Parkinson's disease and arthritis, began a 32-hour trip to the southwestern French city where the Madonna is said to have appeared to the peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.
His frailty was evident in his airport arrival address to President Jacques Chirac, which he read slowly, and later at the famous grotto where the visions are said to have taken place.
Aides had rested him on a kneeler to pray but he lost his balance and they had to rush up to prevent him from falling and seated him back on his wheeled throne.
After several minutes of intense prayer, he designated a cardinal to read his address for him, even though it was only four paragraphs long.
"With you I share a time marked by physical suffering, yet not for that reason any less fruitful in God's wondrous plan," he said.
The Pope was then wheeled away for some rest before a planned return to the grotto in the evening for a candlelight procession around the shrine which some six million people visit each year, many of them sufferers who pray for miracle cures as they drink holy waters.
Šaltinis:
slovakiapost.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Nine nominations for the 2010 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought have been tabled by EP political groups or groups of over 40 MEPs.
more »
As the primary source of daily noise, pollution and congestion, car traffic relentlessly erodes our health and quality of life.
more »
The European Parliament hosted the 9th Conference of Parliamentarians from the Arctic region from 13-15 September in Brussels.
more »
Get on your (electric) bike! That's the message of some cycling groups who are currently holding an exhibition of electric bikes outside the European Parliament.
more »
Philippine officials search for the mother of a baby, found dumped in a rubbish bin on board a Manila-bound Gulf Air plane.
more »
Millions of Muslims in Bangladesh prepare to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
more »
The European Parliament has voted to revise legislation on animals used for scientific purposes.
more »
Sausage dogs take to the streets of Cracow in medieval fancy dress to celebrate the 600th anniversary of 'The Battle of Grunwald'.
more »
EU Member States should take positive discrimination measures to improve the lives of older women, including paid leave for carers, says Parliament in a resolution voted on Tuesday.
more »
Tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers gather at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque to celebrate 'Laylat al-Qadr' - one of the holiest nights of Ramadan.
more »