CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) — Pope John Paul II on Sunday called for prayer in the name of world peace, specifically in the Middle East.
The pontiff said the world is facing an international situation that is "heavy with tensions, at times burning hot."
"In some points of the world, where the clash is stronger — I am thinking in particular of the martyred land of Christ — you can count on one hand the few political attempts (at peace)," he said.
The pontiff also announced that he was preparing a document on prayer. Addressing several hundred pilgrims in the courtyard of his summer palace outside Rome, in the hill town of Castel Gandolfo, John Paul urged the faithful to continue the practice of reciting the Rosary.
"To give a boost to this invitation, I am also preparing a document that will help to rediscover the beauty and depth of this prayer," the pontiff said. He did not say when the document would be released.
At the start of yesterday's appearance, John Paul's words came slowly and stiffly, but he later gained strength and was humming along when pilgrims started singing spontaneously near the end.
He smiled at the occasional shout of "Long live the pope" and when Spanish pilgrims chanted "the whole world loves you."
After several months of rest in the summer residence on the outskirts of Rome, John Paul said he was returning to the Vatican, where he would hold his next traditional Sunday appearance in St. Peter's Square.
On Oct. 6, hundreds of thousands of faithful are expected to flock to the square to see the pope raise to sainthood Josemaria Escriva, a Spaniard who founded Opus Dei, a conservative religious group dear to the pope.
Earlier this year, there was speculation on whether the 82-year-old pontiff, who suffers from the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, would retire, possibly after his trip in August to his native Poland. But no announcement has been made.