Brushing aside health concerns, Pope John Paul II arrived in Canada today at the beginning of a 10-day trip that will take him from Toronto to Guatemala and Mexico.
The frail 82-year-old pontiff arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport to be greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
Mr Chretien paid tribute to the Pope for his vision of a "peaceful world that recognises and values the dignity and freedom of all people."
Stooped and at times almost unintelligible during his address to waiting dignitaries, the Pope greeted Canadians and underlined the importance of World Youth Day - the first event on his agenda.
The tens of thousands of young people gathered for the spiritual festivities "represent the future of the world," the Pope said, but "they also bear the marks of a humanity that too often does not know peace or justice."
"Young people are coming together to commit themselves, in the strength of their faith in Jesus Christ, to the great cause of peace and human solidarity," he said. The celebration, which began today, has brought some 200,000 young Catholics from 173 countries to Canada for six days of concerts, prayer services and open-air masses.
There was some speculation that the ailing pontiff, weakened by both Parkinson's disease and a complex arthritic condition, might not make the trans-Atlantic trip, the 97th since he became Pope in 1978.
But he prevailed, even against the advice of his doctors, and his spokesman told reporters during the flight that the pontiff was even hoping to visit the Philippines in January 2003.
The journey is his first to the Americas since a series of scandals involving child-abusing priests rocked the US Roman Catholic Church.
AFP