INTROD, Italy - Pope John Paul II believes "the time is ripe" to return a revered icon to Russia to give a major push to improving relations between Catholics and Russian Orthodox Christians, his spokesman said Sunday.
The Vatican announced on Saturday that the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, which usually hangs in the pope's private chapel, would be given back. The Vatican has had the icon for three decades.
John Paul has long dreamed of visiting Russia, but tensions between Catholics and Orthodox since the fall of communism have prevented what would be the first trip there by a Roman Catholic pontiff.
The pope had been hoping to return the icon himself, but the pontiff's spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, said Saturday that a delegation, still to be named, would return the wooden icon on Aug. 28.
John Paul has not given up on a Russian trip even though he will not be bringing the icon there, said Navarro-Valls in this Alpine hamlet where the pontiff is vacationing.
The "donation is not necessarily connected to the possibility of a papal trip," he said.
The spokesman said there had been positive steps between Catholics and Orthodox in recent weeks, and John Paul believes the "time is ripe for such a donation."
During a recent visit by the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians to the Vatican, both sides agreed stalled theological talks must be resumed.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew II of Constantinople also invited John Paul to visit him in Istanbul, and the pope is considering accepting the invitation, Navarro-Valls said.
Tensions between the Russian Orthodox Church, the dominant Christian faith in Russia, and Roman Catholic Church have long roots. But they sharpened after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and communist restrictions on religion faded.
The wooden icon, which first appeared in Kazan in 1579, hung in the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square and the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg before being taken to the West after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. A Catholic group bought the icon in the 1970s and later presented it to the pope.
Making the only scheduled public appearance Sunday of his 12-day vacation, John Paul blessed some 6,000 pilgrims gathered near his chalet, telling them that the silence of such a natural setting was a rarity in today's world.
He said modern society was leaving people "incapable of reflection and prayer."
The 84-year-old pontiff, who has Parkinson's disease and knee and hip problems, looked rested and spoke in a relatively strong and clear voice.
John Paul is decidedly "feeling well" in the mountain air, Navarro-Valls said. "Even his appetite has improved." Sitting in a shaded chair outside the chalet, John Paul greeted local faithful and led noon prayers, finishing with a wish to all for a good vacation.