ITALY: To the disappointment and concern of the faithful, the ailing Pope John Paul failed to appear at his window on Easter Monday but there was no indication the pontiff's health had worsened.
Several thousand people, some from the Pope's native Poland, converged on St Peter's Square and chanted his name in the hope of drawing the Roman Catholic leader to the window.
The traditional event marking the end of Holy Week celebrations had been on a calendar of papal events for March but had not been confirmed after the Pope left hospital two weeks ago following surgery to relieve breathing problems.
Still, there was great anticipation among the crowd and uncertainty in the Vatican until the last minute. Even the Vatican's television cameras occasionally focused on the window.
"I'm not aware of any worsening of the Pope's health today. I think the doctors have advised him to rest after the activities of the past few days," an official Vatican source said.
Despite the chanting and clapping, the Pope's windows on the top floor of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace remained closed. After waiting for more than an hour, the chants faded, the clapping stopped and the pilgrims trickled away.
"It would have been very nice to see him but we understand," said Gene Crosby, from Co Meath. - (Reuters)