In his last years Pope John Paul II was dogged by arthritis and Parkinson's Disease.

In 1992, he had a large tumour removed from his intestine. He had a hip replacement operation in April 1994 and on a trip to France in 1996 he collapsed. But he continued to travel widely.

In January 1998 the Pope visited Cuba and was greeted by Fidel Castro, the Communist leader of a traditionally Roman Catholic country.

Pope undergoes surgery