ITALY: EXHAUSTED LOOKING POPE JOHN PAUL II RETURNS FROM FIVE DAY TRIP TO AZERBAIJAN AND BULGARIA

Record ID: 862739

  • Title: ITALY: EXHAUSTED LOOKING POPE JOHN PAUL II RETURNS FROM FIVE DAY TRIP TO AZERBAIJAN AND BULGARIA
  • Date: 26th May 2002
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (MAY 26, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS CHAMPINO AIRPORT SV'S: SECURITY AT AIRPORT (2 SHOTS) MV: PLANE TAXIING ON RUNWAY MV: CARGO LIFT TO CARRY THE POPE APPROACHING PLANE MV: CARDINALS WAITING ON TARMAC TO WELCOME THE POPE MV/SV: CARGO LIFT BEING RAISED (2 SHOTS) SV/MV: CARGO LIFT BEING LOWERED WITH THE POPE INSIDE (2 SHOTS) LV: HELICOPTER WAITING TO TAKE THE POPE TO THE VATICAN CLOSEUP OF PILOTS IN HELICOPTER LV: CARGO LIFT WITH THE POPE INSIDE DRIVING TOWARDS HELICOPTER MV: CARGO LIFT BEING LOWERED; POPE BEING GREETED BY CARDINALS WIDE OF PEOPLE BETWEEN LIFT AND HELICOPTER MV: POPE CLIMBING STAIRS INTO HELICOPTER SLV: ALITALIA AIR CREW WATCHING POPE DEPART
  • Embargoed: 10th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • City:
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: International Relations,Health,Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVAAU31PL2JD52OP0E8V39979SJV
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: An exhausted looking Pope John Paul has returned to Italy from a five-day trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria, a pale shadow of the robust Polish cardinal elected to the Papal throne nearly 24 years ago.
    If Pope John Paul's five-day trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria showed anything, it was that the world will have to get used to a different style of papacy.
    The Pope, who turned 82 last week, can barely take a step without help and his body trembles. The spirited gestures and vigorous speaking have gone for good, worn away by repeated illness and old age.
    Since his last trip abroad, to Kazakhstan and Armenia in September, the Pontiff's body has deteriorated fast. For the first time on a foreign trip he has had to be wheeled around on a moving platform and brought off planes on a cargo lift.
    As the pontiff arrived at Rome's Ciampino airport, a cargo lift was moved into position to help the Pope down from the plane. He then walked very slowly towards a waiting helicopter that would take him back to the Vatican City.
    In recognition that critics say has been too long coming the Vatican on Sunday for the first time signalled the years of lengthy foreign trips were over, indicating a 10-day trip to Canada, Mexico and Guatemala in July may be curtailed.
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