Pope John Paul II stressed that women with "lofty vocation" as wives, mothers, nurturers hold a special sensitivity that the world of today need, NYTimes reported on 6.

Pope, spoke to the tens of thousands of believers during the beatification of Croatian nun Sister Marija Petkovic in Dubrovnik, emphasized "woman is a special and important person that this world need so much, especially in the context of the family."

"In this modern world, it is easy to lose the true meaning of existance of human being. we meed the sensitivity and gift that God has given to women in our daily living."

"Women in Croatia also have to show more of their maternal instinct and have more of self-consciousness as wives and mothers."

Pope intended to pay a tribute to the major accomplishments of women but some critics said his speech was antiquated because he spoke in his conservative view of family life and gender roles. In fact he has rejected the ordainment of woman priests and strongly disagreed with abortion rights.

Sister Petkovic founded the Daughters of Mercy, a christian community which aids the sick and poor in Croatia and Latin America.

She is beatified after the Vatican's recognition of the miracle in which the men in Peruvian submarined survived a hit from a Japanese fishing boat in 1988 through prayers to the nun.

By Young Sun Lee
funnysun@hotmail.com