By John L. Allen Jr.
Rijeka, Croatia

John Paul II's anticipated August trip to Mongolia now may not materialize, according to a senior Vatican official, out of concern for the pope's physical condition.

"It all depends on his health," said Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's Secretary of State, in comments on the first day of the pope's June 5-9 trip to Croatia.

"This is not like a weekend in Rijeka," Sodano said, referring to the island where the pope is lodged during his Croatia stay, just over an hour's plane ride from Rome. "It would be a long trip, and he's now a man 82, 83 years old."

The pope turned 83 May 18.

So far on the Croatia trip, the pope has had obvious difficulty with physical movement, taking long periods of time to work his way out of cars and onto his rolling platform. John Paul's specially designed limousine is equipped with a hydraulic back seat that can be raised and tipped forward, in effect propelling the pope towards the exit.

Sodano said another consideration will be whether there are risks posed by the SARS virus. "We will have to listen to the advice of the doctors on that," Sodano said. Vatican officials told reporters the concern is not merely for the pope's personal health, but whether large-scale public events such as are typical during papal travel would be advisable under the circumstances.

As of June 2, Mongolia had reported nine cases of SARS. Government officials say, however, that no new cases have been recorded in recent days.

For some months, Vatican officials had worked behind the scenes to try to arrange a stop-off in Russia for John Paul in conjunction with the Mongolia trip, possibly to return a famous Russian Orthodox icon to the city of Kazan. Given that the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church appears implacably hostile to the visit, however, such a stopover now seems impossible.

Some observers have speculated with these hopes for a Russian stop definitively quashed, the pope is unlikely to tackle the ardor of a long voyage simply to visit the 177 Catholics in Mongolia.

Local organizers in Mongolia, however, say their latest information is that the trip is still on. Some Vatican officials have suggested that the pope will eventually visit Mongolia, but perhaps not in August.

Sodano was also asked to comment on what many observers have taken to be a recent physical improvement in John Paul. He attributed largely to inevitable up and down cycles.

"It's not papaya," he joked, referring to French press reports in 2002 that John Paul was taking a special drug based on papaya extract recommended by a famed French physician. Despite constant Vatican denials, the rumors helped spark sales of papaya extract in France.

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Read more reports posted from Croatia:

• Trip aims to renew Europe's Christian roots
• Cardinal Sodano's comments on the Middle East
• Pope underlines concern for families and women
• Vatican opposition to Iraq war justified
• Pope defies age and heat during five-day trip