Pope returns to Rome, an emotional crowd chants, "you will be back"

Pope John Paul II bade an emotional farewell to his beloved Poland on Monday, knowing that old age and illness might stop him seeing his native land again. "I hate to go", were the final words the frail Pope told an adoring crowd gathered for his departure after a four-day pilgrimage. President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Prime Minister Leszek Miller and Primate Jozef Glemp were among the emotional crowd, which was moved to tears. The Guard of Honor of the Armed Forces saluted the Pope. From the stairs to his plane he greeted 30,000 people attending his departure, who jointly with a young music band sang, "Return to Wadowice. Return to Krakow. Return to your homeland". "You will return" they shouted in harmony. (Reuters; Rzeczp ospolita, p. A1; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 2) M.T.