Exhausted pope calls for peace, justice in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY -- A visibly exhausted Pope John Paul II called for peace and justice Monday on his third trip to Guatemala, where thousands of Roman Catholic faithful carpeted Guatemala City's streets with an ornate path of pine needles, sand and flowers.

Arriving from Canada, the pope used a hydraulic lift to descend from a white Grupo TACA jet painted with the words "Messenger of Hope." John Paul, who has been using lifts to board and exit planes since May, surprised many when he used the stairs on his arrival and departure from Toronto.

A stiff wind blew off the pope's skullcap as he crossed the tarmac in Guatemala, gripping the rail of his cart. He stopped briefly to kiss a toddler who was held up to him.

With the help of two aides and a cane, John Paul walked a few steps and slumped into a chair. He quickly rose to his feet with the help of his aides, supporting himself with the back of another chair, as a children's choir sang Guatemala's national anthem.

The pope, slurring his words as he spoke in Spanish, said he arrived in Guatemala "as a pilgrim of love and hope." He said he hoped the canonization of Pedro de San Jose Betancur on Tuesday could be "a true moment of grace and renewal for Guatemala" and help the country's people in their search for "peace, solidarity and justice."

He blessed the Guatemalan people, especially the poor and marginalized.

Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo called the pope "a symbol of hope" and said he had helped Guatemala become "a more democratic and less unequal country." Five other Central American presidents, Belize's prime minister and the president of the Dominican Republic attended the ceremony.

Thousands of pilgrims packed avenues in the hot sun, singing and cheering as the 82-year-old pontiff waved from his "popemobile." Many who had waited hours for a glimpse of the pontiff were surprised how quickly he passed along the sand-and-flower path.

"I think he looked this way, but even if he didn't, it doesn't matter," said Carla Oliveras, who screamed and waved as the pope came near.

The pope planned to celebrate a Mass on Tuesday canonizing Betancur, a 17th-century Spanish missionary who dedicated his life to helping prisoners, abandoned children and the handicapped in Guatemala.

During a Mass in Toronto on Sunday, the pope made his first public comments about the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the church since January. He said those responsible fill "us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame," but urged followers to support the vast majority of priests who he said do good.

About 300 of the 46,000 priests in the United States have been taken off duty this year because of sex abuse allegations.

But the scandals have received little attention in Guatemala. The pope is remembered fondly for his last visit, in 1996, when many credit him for pressuring both sides to end the country's 36-year civil war. Peace accords were signed only months after his visit.

"Today is a day of celebration, of love for Catholicism," said Lorena Vidrio, standing on a wooden platform she helped build for a better view of the pontiff. "We're not thinking about scandals."

The pope's visit persuaded Portillo to send a proposal to Congress on Monday that would eliminate the country's death penalty. Portillo's spokesman, Byron Barrera, said the pope had specifically requested the action.

Hundreds of faithful jockeyed for space to place their designs along the pope's path on Reforma, Guatemala City's main boulevard. Betancur is believed to have begun the local tradition of laying carpets of sand decorated with flowers for religious processions.

"I've done the same thing for the three papal visits, but this is the most special because John Paul II is arriving in his poor state of health. It is his last opportunity to visit Guatemala," said Juan Norberto, using a pocketknife and a jeweler's magnifying glass to carefully carve out the edges of a purple cross on a background of yellow sand.

There had been speculation that the 82-year-old pope would cancel the Guatemalan and Mexican legs of his 97th foreign trip due to health problems, which include symptoms of Parkinson's disease and hip and knee problems. Instead, the Vatican pared down his schedule.

But in Canada the pope looked stronger and spoke more clearly than in recent months.

Most of Guatemala City came to a standstill Monday for the pope's visit. Stores were shuttered, streets were closed to traffic and the international airport was to be shut down for the duration of his stay.

After the Mass on Tuesday, the pope was scheduled to leave for the last leg of his 11-day trip, traveling to Mexico where he will canonize Juan Diego as the church's first Indian saint. Juan Diego is known for his vision of an olive-skinned Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531.

On Thursday, Juan Paul was scheduled to beatify two Indians martyred in 1700, placing them a step from sainthood, before flying home.