Pope's blessing 'recorded'

2005-02-06 16:19

Vatican City - The words of Pope John Paul II's Sunday Angelus blessing were "probably recorded" after his voice faltered when he started to deliver the traditional blessing from his hospital window, Italian media reported.

In an exercise designed to show the pope was recovering from the severe breathing difficulties and throat infection that caused him to be hospitalised last week, the Vatican appears to have resorted to a tape as the pontiff seemed to choke on the first few words of his blessing.

TV station Sky Italia said in a report the pope's brief blessing was "probably recorded".

There was no immediate response from the Vatican.

Journalists suspicions were raised when the pope's inaudible words at the beginning of the blessing were quickly followed by silence, clicks, and then a much clearer sounding - though still very hoarse - John Paul II completing the blessing.

Meanwhile, the pope's mouth was blocked to the view of television cameras trained on the window because aides were holding up a sheet of paper on which he appeared to be following the full Angelus prayer, read out as arranged by the Vatican deputy secretary of state.

Earlier, as technicians made the usual sound tests ahead of Sunday's ceremony, Vatican correspondents were clearly able to hear a tape of the pope performing the blessing on loudspeakers in the Vatican press room.

It was this tape which appears to have been substituted for the pope's extremely frail voice as soon as he faltered.

- AFP