POPE JOHN PAUL CELEBRATES HIS 81ST BIRTHDAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul today is celebrating his 81st birthday with a normal work day, which includes Mass in his private chapel and receiving individuals and groups of visitors in the Vatican. He is also preparing for the start on Monday of the consistory of the entire College of Cardinals, which he called for May 21 to 24.

In the 12 months since his 80th birthday, the Holy Father presided over dozens of events of the Jubilee Year 2000, including World Youth Day which attracted over 2 million young people to Rome, and the closing of Holy Year on January 6, 2001. He has met scores of heads of State, heads of government and religious leaders, created 44 new cardinals in a consistory on February 21, 2001, called the consistory of cardinals which begins on May 21, and has canonized 150 Blesseds and beatified 214 Servants of God. He just concluded a six-day pilgrimage to Greece, Syria and Malta - his 93rd foreign apostolic - and will travel to Ukraine in June.

His pontificate, the sixth longest in history, began its 23rd year on October 22, 2000.

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