"It's a panic measure," says Roberto 1 Morales of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Guatemala and Mexico next week. As an evangelical pastor, he is not unbiased. But even some Catholics are cynical about the real motive for the pope's visit. Although his appearance in Mexico city is likely to produce genuine euphoria, the Catholic church has nonetheless been losing ground in Mexico. The pope intends to travel first to Canada and Guatemala, arriving in Mexico (God willing) on July 30th. Because he is so frail now, he will stay for only two days, and Mexicans have been obsessing over whether he will make it at all. The authorities, who want to make sure el Papa has a smooth ride, are leaving nothing to chance: paramedic helicopters will follow his public appearances, ready ot intervene in case he ever looks like becoming a martyr of his work.
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