Pope John Paul II delivered an Easter Sunday blessing to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, but the ailing pontiff was unable to speak and managed only to greet the saddened crowd with a sign of the cross, bringing tears to many.

Aides had readied a microphone, and the pope tried to utter a few words from his studio window overlooking the square. But after making a few sounds, he just blessed the crowd with his hand and the microphone was taken away.

Vatican watchers had been anxiously awaiting John Paul's appearance for signs of how the 84-year-old pontiff was faring after Feb. 24 surgery to insert a tube in his throat to help him breathe. After the dramatic appearance, many in the crowd cried or applauded in sad appreciation for John Paul's pained efforts to greet them on the holiest day of the church calendar.

John Paul last spoke to the public March 13, shortly before he was discharged from the hospital.

For the first time since John Paul's papacy began in 1978, Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican was celebrated without him as he continued his convalescence following two recent hospitalizations for breathing crises. John Paul also suffers from Parkinson's disease, which makes it difficult for him to speak, and knee and hip ailments.

As a result of his infirmities, the pope missed participating in all major Holy Week events and designated top cardinals to stand in for him.

On Sunday, it fell to the Vatican's No. 2 official, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, to celebrate Easter Mass in the flower-decked square jammed with more than 50,000 people. Millions more watched in TV hookups in 74 countries.

John Paul appeared at his window after the service ended, drawing applause from the crowd. He coughed at first, but remained at the window for 12 minutes, looking stronger than he has in recent appearances.

He had papers on his lectern and turned the pages himself, following along as Sodano read his Easter message in the square below.

At the end of the message, a microphone was put in front of him and John Paul touched it as if readying to impart the papal blessing. After trying to utter the words, the pope rested his hands on the lectern in apparent resignation that he could not speak and the microphone was taken away. Soon after, John Paul withdrew from the window.

Source: Agencies