After months of walking almost surreptiously with a cane, Pope John Paul II has begun waving it, joking about it and asking people what they think.
"Are you pro-cane or anti-cane?" he asked young people Saturday during a trip to Sicily. "Some say it makes me look older. Others that it rejuvenates me."Long known for his vigor as a pope who skis and hikes, the 74-year-old pontiff is trying to make the best of his new situation, using humor to counter critics who say his papacy is slowing down.
John Paul put his leg to the test on the Sicilian journey, his first major outing since he canceled last month's visit to the United States after a slow recovery from hip-replacement surgery April 29.
Rumors have swirled for months that the pope, possibly suffering from bone cancer or Parkinson's disease, is seriously ailing. The Vatican has repeatedly denied he has any serious ailments.
During a Mass Sunday to dedicate the Madonna in Tears sanctuary, John Paul used his bishop's staff for support while an aide gripped his arm when he climbed the steps to the altar.
But the pope made clear he intends to keep traveling, with his next trip to Asia in January.