Pope John Paul II, undeterred by ill-health, will tomorrow travel to Slovakia on his crusade to persuade Europe to remember its Christian roots.
The 83-year-old Pontiff, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and arthritis, has been looking exceptionally weak this summer. He will spend four days in Slovakia, which is due to join the European Union next May.
He has appeared short of breath and has had difficultypronouncing his words, but he has not missed any of histwice-weekly public appearances despite a searing heatwave.
At today's general audience in a rainy St Peter'sSquare, the Pope, speaking in a trembling voice, said he had "great hopes" for the Slovakia trip and asked the faithful to accompany him with their prayers.
The trip, his fourth and last foreign visit of the year,comes a month before the 25th anniversary of his historic election and weeks before a key meeting of European Union leaders in Rome.
The EU is currently debating a draft constitution. The politicians who drew it up chose to avoid mentioning the word Christianity, referring instead to Europe's "cultural, religious and humanist inheritance".
The Pope wants an explicit reference to Christianity but is opposed by secular countries such as France. Some states fear it would be a slight to other religions, such as Judaism, Islam, and to atheists.