Poland's Catholics pray for ailing favourite son

The Pope's 82-year-old former roommate prayed for the swift recovery of his ailing friend and countryman yesterday, joining millions of Roman Catholic Poles in wishing their iconic leader well.

"When I pray for him, I think not only of the Pope, not only of the head of the church, but also of my friend, of Karol, of the man," the Pope's roommate from training seminary, Mieczyslaw Malinski, said after saying morning mass at his parish in Krakow.

"I have faith that everything will turn out well."

The 84-year-old Pope, born Karol Wojtyla, was rushed to hospital for the second time this month on Thursday and has had surgery to ease breathing problems, signalling that one of history's most active papacies could be about to end.

Since his election in 1978, he has inspired Poles' successful fight against communism and served as a moral beacon through the tough transition to a market economy since.

More than half of Poland's 37 million Catholics go to church every Sunday - second in Europe only to Ireland - and almost 70 per cent say the Pope's teachings have a direct effect on their daily lives.

"Even if he dies I think he will only grow as a symbol for Poles, an example of how to behave," Tomasz Lipinski, a 43-year-old taxi driver said outside mass in Warsaw. "Eighty-four years is a long time, but I bet he's got more in him. We all know how strong he is."

For the first time in his 26-year papacy, Poles returned from church yesterday to hear the lunchtime Angelus prayer - broadcast live to millions of homes - without the Pope's voice.

But many took heart from his brief surprise appearance in the window of his 10th floor hospital room after the Angelus, blessing the faithful gathered below.

"He is continuing his mission in his illness, saying on behalf of all those in a similar situation: 'I am old and sick but I am here, accept me'," leading Catholic journalist Maciej Letowski told news channel TVN24.

Polish television broke into regular programmes with news of the Pope's relapse on Thursday and have maintained a barrage of coverage since, flashing from correspondents in Rome to Polish throat specialists, politicians and churchmen.

Specially created internet chat sites have been flooded with messages of support, while high school students from his home town of Wadowice signed a letter promising to pray for the Pope's health. In the mountain resort of Zakopane, where the man once called "God's athlete" used to go hiking in his youth, people arrived at church in traditional dress, with the Pope's yellow and white flags everywhere.

"We came here to pray for the Holy Father and we will be praying, singing and making music so loudly that he can hear us all the way to Rome," altar boy Jan Cukier, 15, said.