Increasing Infirmity Limits the Pope

With the prospect growing of Pope John Paul needing to make increasing use of a wheelchair, he was last night forced to watch the stations of the cross ceremony at the Roman Colosseum, a highlight of the Christian year, while sitting on a chair on the neighbouring Palatine Hill.

Poor health has led him to his having to pull out of performing several key duties during Holy Week.

Usually the Pope would have carried the light wooden cross for at least some of the 14 stations, but his ability to do so has diminished in recent years.

Severe arthritis in his right knee has already curtailed his participation in holy week rites and the advancing symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which cause his left arm to tremble and difficulties in his speech, have raised doubts about his ability to continue as leader of the Roman Catholic church.

Ill health last Sunday prevented the Pope, who is 81, from celebrating Palm Sunday mass, which was delegated to one of his cardinals, and subsequently from participating in the washing of the feet ceremony on Maundy Thursday.

In both cases it was the first time in his 23-year pontificate that the Pope had been unable to fulfil the traditional duties.

The prospect of the Pope in a wheelchair was revealed in an exchange of letters with an 11-year-old girl. Giorgia Papa first wrote to the Pope two years ago saying: "Speaking to my father, who makes elec tric wheelchairs, we thought of giving you one to help you get around."

The letter, published yesterday by the Rome daily La Repubblica, was the first of a series of exchanges with the company run by Giorgia's father Renato, and based in Thiene. And a month ago, a battery-operated wheelchair was delivered to the Vatican.

The Pope has already bowed to the inevitable by allowing himself to be pushed around St Peter's Basilica on a mobile podium.