Pope seeks strength ahead of anniversary

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI prayed yesterday for the strength to carry on as he marks two major milestones this week: his 85th birthday Monday and the seventh anniversary of his election to the papacy.

The comments, while innocuous, were the clearest sign yet that Benedict has no intention of resigning soon, despite his age and increasing frailty.

"Next Thursday, on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of my election to the See of Peter, I ask for your prayers, so that the Lord gives me the strength to fulfill the mission he entrusted to me," he said in French to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.

Benedict has slowed down recently. Last month he was seen in public for the first time using a cane when he boarded his plane for Mexico. During the six-day trip to Mexico and Cuba, he at times looked exhausted. He looked tired during the busy Holy Week services.

But his health is remarkably strong for someone his age. He has never canceled a planned event because of illness and has no known chronic illnesses. Few men his age go to work every day, run a 1-billion strong church, write books, deliver speeches and meet with visiting heads of state.

And Benedict has some pressing issues on his agenda. The Vatican is expected to receive word soon from a group of traditionalist Catholics on whether they will accept the Holy See's terms for reconciliation.

The group, the Society of St. Pius X, opposes some of the core teachings of the Second Vatican Council, particularly its outreach to Jews. Benedict, who is not unsympathetic to some of their concerns, has worked since the start of his pontificate to try to bring them back under Rome's wing, out of fear that they are essentially creating a parallel church.

On the other side of the spectrum are hundreds of dissident priests making their voices heard in Europe: Priest movements in Austria and Ireland are calling for a relaxation of the celibacy requirement for priests and for the church to ordain women, two things the Vatican has ruled out.

Benedict appeared so concerned by the Austrian initiative that he dedicated much of his Holy Thursday homily to reminding its members he had no authority to allow female priests, saying an all-male priesthood was an "irrevocable" church teaching.