Pope’s Message Will Reach Chinese Catholics

Pope John Paul II on Saturday celebrated 400 years of Christianity in Asia’s Catholic bastion as police searched for about 20 Muslims who they say were plotting to disrupt his visit.

Vatican sources said the 74-year-old pontiff also would broadcast a message to the 1.2 billion people of China, whose government has refused to allow Catholics to pledge loyalty to the pope for four decades.

In a sign that the church was mending a 44-year-old rift with Beijing, the Vatican has welcomed to the pope’s Asian tour the first Catholic delegates from Communist China to attend a papal event.

Huge crowds have cheered the pontiff at all his public appearances. The outpouring has severely taxed security, which has been tight during the visit.

On Friday, U.S. and Philippine officials said two people had been arrested and about 20 others were being sought in what was believed to be a plot by Muslim extremists to carry out terrorist attacks during the papal visit.

Police said they uncovered the conspiracy when they raided an apartment Jan. 6 near the residence of the Vatican ambassador.