40 Papal

audiences
On the day the Pope fainted'
REPORTS that the Holy Father was ill last week were denied by a spokesman of the Papal household.
It was said His Holiness fainted at Mass on Friday. In fact, on that same day he granted 40 private and special audiences. After celebrating Mass for some 3,000 pilgrims in the Hall of Blessings, the Pope attended the Passion Friday sermon for the Papal court given in the Vatican by a Capuchin. With the Pope were 10 Cardinals, 25 Archbishops and Bishops and a dozen superiors general of religious orders.
None of them noticed anything unusual about the Pope, said the spokesman. On Saturday, His Holiness held another general audience in St. Peter's Basilica, speaking to 20,000 pilgrims in Italian, German, French, English and Spanish. His voice was strong and clear. Time after time applause obliged him to pause. From a throne near thee Papal altar he told them : " Gather the fruits of the Holy Year, the fruits of Christian life. You do not come here on a pleasure trip but as piigrims for the profit of your souls."
EASTER BLESSING
Some 50,000 tickets for admission to St. Peter's for the Holy Father's Easter Sunday Mass have been issued. The Pope will afterwards give the Blessing to the City and the World from the balcony of St. Peter's.
About 350,000 are expected to assemble in the Square.