Pope beatifies executed priests

The pope has continued with a tough schedule despite health problems

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria -- Pope John Paul II has beatified three priests who were executed in Bulgaria by a communist firing squad.

The ceremony on Sunday closes a five-day tour of the country in which the pope's frailty has become apparent.

During the trip he has struggled to complete short walks and asked aides to deliver his speeches. (Full story)

The beatification -- the penultimate step to sainthood -- was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city and main stronghold for the country's 80,000 Catholics.

Kamen Vichev, Iosafat Shishkov and Pavel Dzhidzhov were convicted in 1952 at a show trial in which 40 Bulgarian Catholic priests were charged with being Vatican spies.

They died next to Bishop Evgeni Bossilkov, who was beatified in 1998 and is considered the first Catholic to be martyred as a direct result of the eastern European regimes installed after World War II.

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"This tribute of fidelity of Christ brought together the two ecclesial communities in Bulgaria, even to the supreme witness," the pope said in his homily.

He said the three martyred priests were models for Christians today, especially young people "who are looking to give meaning to their lives."

The pope said he felt "duty bound" to also honour the memory of Orthodox Christians "who suffered martyrdom under the same communist regime."

Pope John Paul has looked frail during his trip -- the first ever to Bulgaria by a pontiff -- in which he has met the country's Muslim and Orthodox leaders.

At Rila Monastery on Saturday it took him one minute to walk 50 feet and he was only able to deliver a few lines of his prepared remarks before allowing an aide to take over.

The beatification service in temperatures touching 30F was another test for the 82-year-old pope.

During the three-hour service the 82-year-old pope sat slumped in a white chair on the altar, looking feeble and weak.

Vatican officials say that despite his frailties the pope is coping well but one Orthodox leader said it was time for the pope to live a quieter life.

Metropolitan Simeon said: " I think the people around him should tell him to stop. Who among us could do what he is doing? No one but him. He is suffering like Christ."

The pope returns to Italy late on Sunday to prepare for a meeting with U.S. President George Bush on Tuesday.