SUVA, Fiji -- Pope John Paul II quaffed a potent island liquor, accepted three whales' teeth and watched a spear dance today during an ancient Fijian welcoming ceremony that goes back to when the islanders practiced cannibalism.
The pontiff, on the fourth day of a hectic tour of Asia and the Pacific, also celebrated an outdoor mass that incorporated some of the cultural practices of the isolated island nation, including traditional dances.
A heavy fog obscured the runway, forcing John Paul's plane to abort its first landing attempt.
'I couldn't see the runway,' the pilot announced over the loudspeaker as the plane circled for another pass. The pilot landed safely on his second attempt.
John Paul, who flew through the night from Singapore, sat under a platform for a traditional welcome that last was performed for Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1982.
Despite having spent two of his last three nights sleeping on the papal plane, the pontiff looked fit during the wet, misty hour-long ceremony, although several members of his party dozed off on the platform behind him.
Maintaining strict silence throughout the ceremony -- a Fijian sign of respect -- three natives dressed in grass skirts, tooth necklaces and shell or flower belts each presented a polished whale tooth to John Paul - the equivalent of a key to the city. The teeth were precious objects in ancient Fijian culture.
Later, 10 warriors dressed in green leaf stoles, orchid garlands and red leaf skirts dragged a giant kava root to the pope's feet. Sixteen more warriors then mixed powdered kava with water in a massive wooden bowl to make the potent brew.
Chanting, they poured the liquor into a polished coconut shell and presented it to the pope, who complied with tradition and downed it in a single gulp. The warriors also presented John Paul with a whole roast pig and a basket of fresh fruit and vegetables, then performed a spear dance.
'The ceremony is the highest tribute we can extend to an honored guest,' said Governor-General Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau.
Later, John Paul returned to the park to celebrate an open air mass in English, Fijian, Hindi and Rotuma. During the mass, natives performed dances from the period when cannibalism was practiced. The practice died out after European missionaries arrived in the early 19th century.
John Paul told the crowds -- from the Cook islands, the Marshall islands, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Tonga and New Caledonia -- that the main purpose of his visit was religious.
'It is also my prayer that people of all religions and all people of good will, will renew their human solidarity in the cause of peace,' John Paul said.
The pontiff had special thanks for Fiji's Methodist community, which comprises 38 percent of the nation's 672,000 people. Catholics make up only 8.63 percent, with Hindus comprising 40 percent and Moslems nearly 9 percent.
