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-News for Fri. 29, Sat 30 & Sun 31
March 2002 Pope
Denounces 'Horror' in Holy Land
VOA
News 31
Mar 2002 17:07 UTC
 
Pope John Paul
II has turned his traditional Easter message, entitled Urbi et Orbi ("To
the city and to the world") into a denunciation of the escalating conflict in
the Middle East.
The pontiff,
struggling with his own physical suffering, said the recent tragic events have
plunged the Holy Land into horror and despair. He called on political and
religious leaders, as well as Christians all over the world, to work together
in bringing peace to the region.
The Easter
address wrapped up a grueling series of Holy Week ceremonies in which the
ailing, 81-year-old pope was forced to skip several rites for the first time in
his 23-year-old papacy. Earlier, assisted by two cardinals, he celebrated
Easter Sunday mass on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica.
Late Saturday,
the pontiff ushered in Easter in a three-hour service in Saint Peter's
Basilica. He remained seated, as he baptized nine converts from Albania, Japan,
Poland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China and Italy.
During Good
Friday services at the Vatican, Pope John Paul prayed for peace in the Middle
East, but cut short his usual participation in ceremonies at Rome's ancient
Coliseum.
Some information
for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
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