Pope John Paul II has arrived in Bulgaria on the second leg of a tour which has already seen him give mass in the predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan.

The 82-year-old pontiff will spend four days in the country, where Catholics are a tiny minority, and is hoping to continue the task of building bridges with the Orthodox world.

For its part the Bulgarian Government is hoping that the Pope's visit will finally dispel suspicions that the Bulgarian secret service was behind the attempt to assassinate the Pope in Rome in the 1980s.

On Friday, the Pope will visit the leader of the local Orthodox church, Patriarch Maxim, who has in the past opposed such a meeting, and on Sunday he will beatify three Catholic priests murdered by the Communists 50 years ago.

Mass with Muslims

The BBC's David Willey travelling with the Pope says his hectic schedule in Bulgaria may increase concerns for his health.

The pope has been using a special trolley

In Azerbaijan, he was unable to walk more than a few steps at a time and had to be moved around on a trolley when he was not being driven in a car or in the famous Popemobile.

He again had to be lowered on a hydraulic lift to disembark from his plane after the flight from Baku to Sofia.

Most of his speech in Baku, where he led a service in a sports hall, was read for him by an aide.

There are only about 120 Roman Catholics in Azerbaijan, including two priests - but about 3,000 people, mostly Muslims or non-believers, attended the service.

His visit was seen as much as a symbolic occasion as a religious one.

Our correspondent says he was keen to balance his visit last September to Armenia, which fought a war with Azerbaijan after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

He began the with an appeal for an end to religious wars.

Praising Azerbaijan as a society that "holds tolerance as the primary value of all wholesome life", he called for a halt to "wars waged in the name of God".

"No more profanation in the holy name," said the Pope, speaking in Russian to advance his call for religious tolerance.

"As long as I have breath in me I shall cry out: Peace, in the name of God!"