Vatican, Catholics dismayed Pope misses Nobel again

The decision not to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Pope John Paul has disappointed Vatican officials and Catholics, who felt the ailing Pontiff deserved it and may not live to get another chance.

"The Pope is sick exactly because of the pain that wars caused him so he should have won the Nobel Peace Prize," said Anna, an elderly Italian, after visiting the Vatican yesterday.

The prize went to Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi. The 83-year-old Pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, has made thousands of appeals for peace, disarmament and the relief of Third World debt throughout his long pontificate.

Supporters felt that this should have been his year because he marks his 25th anniversary next week, he was instrumental in the fall of communism in 1989, opposed the Iraq war and recently his health has appeared to go into steep decline.

The Pope was runaway favourite to win the award before the announcement yesterday, according to Australian bookmaker Centrebet.

At the Vatican, officials went out of their way to hide their disappointment. Their reaction could be summed up by one comment: "He deserved and it would have been nice if had got it, but he does not need it."

In the Pope's Polish homeland, former president Lech Walesa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his leadership of Poland's Solidarity anti-communist movement, spoke for many of his compatriots:

"I have nothing against this lady, but if there is anyone alive who deserves this year's Nobel Peace Prize, it is the Holy Father," he told the TVN 24 news channel.