VATICAN CITY - A frail Pope John Paul II helped allay fears about his condition when he made an appearance Wednesday at his apartment window to bless a crowd of pilgrims in St Peter's Square.
The 84-year-old Church leader repeatedly blessed and gestured encouragingly to the crowd of over 1,000 pilgrims, who kept up a cacophony of joyous chants and clapping for the duration of the appearance, which lasted about a minute.
Pilgrims received his appearance with a mixture of hope and the feeling that this pope would do anyting for his faithful regardless of his physical condition.
"The pope tries to appear no matter how bad his health is. He wants to encourage us as much as we try to encourage him," said Janice Marie Tolsa, from Escanaba, Michigan.
Others could only find hope in his appearance.
"He's splendid! He looks a hundred percent," said an elderly Polish woman from London, Bronia Adler.
Miquel Ferra from Portugal saw the power of God behind John Paul II's appearance, his first since rumours swept Rome that his condition had deteriorated and that he faced imminent hospitalisation.
"Yesterday, I saw in the news that he was worse, and I was so sad. His appearance is a sign that he is moved by something that is supernatural."
03/23/2005 10:32 GMT