Vatican City ? Days after some cardinals gave dire descriptions of his health, Pope John Paul II led a long and lively ceremony Sunday to give the Church three new saints, capping the appearance with a spin in a “popemobile” around St. Peter’s Square to wave to tens of thousands of cheering well-wishers.

The 83-year-old pontiff, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, held up rather well throughout his 2 1/2 hours in the public’s eye, although near the end of the canonization Mass he began heavily slurring his words and let German Cardinal Walter Kasper read three paragraphs in German.

John Paul declared three missionaries to be saints: Daniele Comboni, an Italian; Arnold Janssen, a German, and Josef Freinademetz, an Austrian.

The pope chanted several prayers in a loud, clear voice, greeted a long line of VIPs one by one and watched with attention as African and Asian dancers performed in honor of the three saints.

After the ceremony, John Paul was helped into the white open-topped vehicle dubbed the “popemobile” for a 10-minute spin around the cobblestone square.

Firmly gripping a safety bar with one hand, John Paul alternately waved and gave his blessing with the other hand as faithful took photos.

Until relatively recently, top churchmen wouldn’t even publicly acknowledge that the pontiff had Parkinson’s, despite evident symptoms like hand tremors, stiff facial muscles and stooped posture.

Sunday’s canonization was the 50th such ceremony John Paul has led since becoming pontiff in 1978. In all, he has raised to sainthood 476 faithful, new role models he hopes will help shore up the faith of Catholics.

John Paul marks 25 years in the papacy this month. Besides several anniversary events, the pope has several other stamina-taxing appointments coming up, including the Oct. 19 beatification of Mother Teresa and an Oct. 21 ceremony to give the Church more cardinals, the electors who will eventually chose John Paul’s successor.

The tapestry of missionary Josef Freinademetz of Austria, hung during a canonization ceremony led by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square, is seen at the Vatican. The ceremony was Sunday.