By David Willey BBC correspondent in Rijeka

Pope John Paul II has been visiting a corner of predominantly Roman Catholic Croatia near the country's eastern border with Serbia, where ethnic tensions still run high after the conflicts of the 1990s.

The Pope's voice remained firm in the sweltering heat

He called for continuing reconciliation in this troubled part of Eastern Europe and met clergy from the minority Orthodox Christian community.

The Vatican is playing down as most likely fraudulent some e-mails apparently sent from Bosnia threatening an attempt on the Pope's life.

Meanwhile, the Pope - based for the weekend in Rijeka - continues his daily schedule under heavy security.

Religious fault line

It is the hottest summer in Croatia for 100 years.

On Saturday, in the sweltering heat, the Pope preached at an airport Mass attended by 200,000 people near Osijek.

Dozens of pilgrims fainted from the heat and two died of heart attacks.

Catholics from across the Balkans have flocked to the papal Masses

"After the trying times of the war, which has left the people of this region with deep wounds not yet completely healed, a commitment to reconciliation, solidarity and social justice calls for courage," the pontiff said.

The voice of the Pope, who was dressed in heavy liturgical robes as the temperatures soared to over 38 degrees Celsius, was firm as he spoke.

The local bishop told the Pope that Croatians did not want to be prisoners of their past.

But in the context of persistent religious and ethnic tensions they seem to find it difficult to wriggle free from the straightjacket imposed by their recent turbulent history.

Orthodox contacts

The Pope later met a delegation from the Serbian Orthodox church in the border area.

There was also a moderately encouraging reaction from Belgrade where the Pope's visit to Croatia has been prominently reported.

Metropolitan Jovan of the Serbian Orthodox church said it was the common goal of the Orthodox and Catholic churches to preserve the Christian image of Europe.