POLAND: Some 15,000 people turned out yesterday to welcome Pope John Paul II to Krakow on his eighth papal visit to Poland.
As the pontiff's plane touched down, the crowd chanted: "We love you", and a choir in traditional costumes sang songs.
The 82-year old pontiff, despite suffering from Parkinson's disease and arthritis, descended the stairs on his own, waving to the crowd and smiling. In his traditional gesture, he kissed Polish soil presented to him in a basket, and accepted flowers from children.
The four-day visit will be mostly confined to Krakow where he lived for most of his adult life before becoming Pope in 1978. - (AFP)