A frail pope, drawing hope from Easter, insists world can change for better

VATICAN CITY - A frail, and at moments even wobbly, John Paul II expressed hope yesterday that the message of Easter can inspire humanity to defeat evil and bring peace to the Middle East, the Balkans, Africa and other places plagued by violence.

"Men and women of the third millennium, the Easter gift of light that scatters the darkness of fear and sadness is meant for everyone," John Paul said near the end of a two-hour ceremony in St. Peter's Square, where the crowd braved unusually chilly weather for a Roman spring.

"Rediscover with joy and wonder that the world is no longer a slave to the inevitable. The world of ours can change; peace is possible even where for too long there has been fighting and death," the pontiff said, naming the Holy Land, Jerusalem, the Balkans, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Age and physical ailments have taken their toll on the pope, who turns 81 next month. As he made his way to the altar on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, John Paul at one point swayed and appeared to lose his balance. Two aides quickly grabbed his arms and steadied him.

An arm tremor, a shuffling walk and slurred words - symptoms of Parkinson's disease - have troubled the pontiff for several years. But yesterday, his voice rang out strong and clear during his traditional Easter reflection on the world's trouble spots. He prayed that "this commitment of ours will not falter, even when weariness slows our steps."

He followed the "Urbi et Orbi" - Latin for "to the city and to the world" - Easter message by wishing the world happy Easter in 61 languages.

By the end of the ceremony, the crowd had swelled to about 100,000 as tourists and Romans spilled over from the square.