ITALY/VATICAN: Much against his will Pope John Paul II has been forced to curtail his participation in the Vatican's intense programme of Easter celebrations this weekend.
The 81-year-old Pope is suffering from chronic arthritis in his right knee, making it difficult for him to stand or walk around during the lengthy Easter ceremonies in the Vatican.
Last night, the Pope held the cross only for the final station of the traditional Via Crucis in the Colosseum, whilst earlier in the week he had presided over but not been the main celebrant at Palm Sunday Mass.
Likewise, on Thursday he remained seated during the traditional "Last Supper" washing of the feet, leaving the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, to symbolically cleanse the feet of 12 priests.
Notwithstanding his knee problems, however, the Pope yesterday honoured the Good Friday tradition whereby, for the only day in the year, he dons black and goes to St Peter's to hear the confession of ordinary Catholics, chosen at random from the thousands of Easter tourists and pilgrims milling about in the basilica.
Yesterday, the Pope arrived on a wheeled platform now often used by him in the basilica, stopping for over an hour to hear the confessions of five men and four women. Before leaving the basilica, he stopped to bless the many pilgrims including a group of Polish faithful who had waited to see him, taking his leave by saying "Until the next time" in Italian.
This evening, the Pope is expected to preside over the traditional Easter Vigil service in St Peter's, while tomorrow he is expected to oversee Easter Sunday Mass. On both occasions, however, the Pope will "sit out" most of the ceremony again asking one of the senior Curia Cardinals to take over the role of main celebrant.
Despite the arthritis problem, the latest in a long line of medical problems that have afflicted the Pope since the attempted assassination attempt by Turkish gunman Ali Agca in May 1981, the Vatican says that he will still delivering his traditional Easter Sunday "Urbi et Orbi" message and blessing tomorrow.
Further concern about the arthritis problem was reflected in a report in yesterday's Rome daily, La Repubblica, which claims that senior Curia figures have recently tried to persuade the Pope to use an electric wheelchair to move about inside the pontifical palace. For the time being, the Pope, it seems, is averse to the idea.
Elsewhere, thousands of people climbed to a Philippine hilltop yesterday where three members of a Christian cult were nailed to crosses in a Good Friday rite of sacrifice for peace in the country's war-weary south.
"We are setting an example for sinful people to change so there can be peace," said Mr Jose Felipe, a 24-year-old carpenter.