Pope Holds Weekly Audience with Difficulty Though...





From Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage:



"Pope John Paul held his weekly general audience Wednesday but skipped reading much of his prepared address apparently to conserve his strength.



The 83-year-old pope, who has difficulty speaking because of Parkinson's disease, significantly shortened his main, two-page address in Italian.



But later, speaking slowly, he continued brief comments in other languages.



At one point while he was reading in Italian, a clear look of frustration came over his face and he stopped briefly. The crowd broke into applause to cheer him on and he continued the audience for thousands of people in St Peter's Square."