31.   At a news conference Tuesday in Havana, Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega reminded the government of a request the pope made last year to Castro.

32.   Asked when the pope would make the trip, Hoyos declined to give a date.

33.   Asked when the pope would make the trip, Hoyos declined to give a date, but synod participants indicated it would probably be in at least a year.

34.   At the time Vatican officials confirmed the pope would make the Canada trip but suggested the other stops could be dropped.

35.   Bush received a letter last week from John Paul in which the pope made his clemency request.

36.   But the pope has made it clear he sides with Belo and his supporters.

37.   But the spokesman said he would not announce until Wednesday morning whether the pope would make it to each one himself.

38.   But the pope made no particular gestures except to endorse ongoing talks between Catholics and Lutherans on resolving their differences.

39.   Christians believe the church stands over the birthplace of Jesus and the pope has made clear his distress at seeing the shrine embroiled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

40.   Earlier Sunday, the pope made his first visit to a parish since spring when the Vatican canceled a stop because of illness.