John Paul Ready to Begin His 30th Overseas Tour
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VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II next week begins his 30th overseas tour, a weeklong trip to Colombia, a South American nation shaken in the past year by a disastrous volcanic eruption, guerrilla warfare and a hard-fought presidential election.
The pontiff leaves the Vatican on Tuesday and will visit 12 cities, ranging from guerrilla-controlled towns to industrial centers enjoying a boom thanks to coffee crops and clandestine cocaine traffic.
The Vatican views the Pope’s trip as a pastoral mission to a country where about 95% of the 29.5 million population professes adherence to the Roman Catholic faith.
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