Ailing Pope vows to stay on

John Paul II has marked his 25th year as Pope by asking cardinals to pray for him to carry on leading the Roman Catholic Church.

"Continue to pray for me, so that I can faithfully fulfil my service to the Church for as long as the Lord wishes," the pontiff said, ending four days of discussions to mark his silver jubilee.

The courage to proclaim the gospel must never fade Pope John Paul II

The ailing Pope may have been responding to repeated speculation that he might be on the point of retiring because of his declining health, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

"The courage to proclaim the gospel must never fade," the 83-year-old Pope said.

"Furthermore, it must be our main commitment until the final breath, faced with an ever-renewed dedication," he told the gathering.

The Pope, who has Parkinson's disease and arthritis, was slumped in his chair but appeared alert.

His address was concluded by an assistant after he stopped reading from his notes.

He now faces a gruelling schedule in the coming days as the jubilee celebrations continue, including the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sunday.

On Tuesday, he will preside over a ceremony to install 30 new cardinals, followed by a mass on Wednesday to give them their rings.

Two days ago, the Pope called on Roman Catholics around the world to pray for his continued strength to lead them at a special silver jubilee Mass in St Peter's Square.

He told onlookers Christ was aware of his human frailty but still encouraged him to bear his responsibilities.

Approaching sainthood

In Calcutta itself, pilgrims have been gathering from around ahead of Sunday's three-hour mass in Rome to be led by the Pope, at which Mother Teresa will be "declared blessed" - one step away from sainthood.

Marchers said Mother Teresa espoused religious freedom

Hundreds joined an all-faith rally there on Saturday morning to celebrate the life of the world's most famous Catholic sister and demand India declare her birthday a holiday.

Albanian-born Mother Teresa died in 1997 aged 87. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her decades of service to the sick and destitute in Calcutta.