Considerable progress in the necessary arrangements for such a trip comes in the wake of the Vatican's apology for not doing enough to prevent the Holocaust during World War II. Such a trip would be a crowning journey to a long series of trips taken by John Paul to many nations since 1978.

Reports Richard Owen from Rome and Christopher Walker in Jerusalem: "The Pope has said he would like to climb Mount Sinai with Jewish and Muslim leaders in the year 2,000 to 'mark the reconciliation of the world's three great monotheistic faiths.'"

Progress towards religious unity has long been one of the primary goals of the Roman Catholic Church. But Bible prophecy shows that a great religious figure shall join forces with a secular ruler of 10 nations to produce an alliance that will shake and astonish the world. After this last-gasp attempt at world rule by a dictator will be the second coming of Christ and the beginning of His utopian reign of peace on earth. (Sources: The Times [London], The Independent on Sunday [London].)