Bosnians unveil statue of Pope John Paul II

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Thousands of Bosnians celebrated the canonization of Pope John Paul II on Wednesday at the unveiling of a statue in the heart of Sarajevo.

The crowd shouted "long live the pope" as the 3-meter-high statue showing the late pope standing in meditative prayer was unveiled in front of the city's cathedral.

John Paul's support for Sarajevo during the 1992-95 war made him very popular among the city's predominantly Muslim population.

Sarajevans endured 1,425 days under siege by Serbian forces during and appreciated the pope's repeated calls for an end to their suffering.

"His words were perceived as messages of hope in Bosnia, especially in Sarajevo," said the Muslim member of Bosnia's Presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic.

John Paul tried to visit Sarajevo during the worst days in 1994 but canceled his trip because the Serbs said they wouldn't guarantee his safety. He visited after the war ended, and tens of thousands jammed the streets to welcome him. In front of Sarajevo's cathedral he shook hands with the crowd and stroked the foreheads of weeping people, many of them Muslims.

"His words were like medicine for our still-open wounds," Izetbegovic said.