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Vatican City, December 26, 2009 – Pope Benedict XVI
reappeared in public Friday urging tolerance for migrants in his
Christmas message, hours after a woman knocked him to the floor during
evening mass in St Peter's Basilica.
The 82-year-old appeared unshaken as he addressed tens of thousands in
St Peter's Square and millions around the world, urging "acceptance and
welcome" for those forced from their homes by hunger, intolerance or
climate change.
The pontiff was dragged to the ground by a 25-year-old woman who vaulted
security barriers and grabbed him as he made his way to the altar for
Christmas Eve mass.
Susanna Maiolo had tried to approach the pope on the same occasion last
year but was stopped by security guards, according to Vatican spokesman
Federico Lombardi.
He told AFP the woman was "apparently unbalanced" and had been admitted
to hospital for "necessary treatment".
In his Christmas Eve homily, the German-born pontiff spoke out against
selfishness, as Christians across the world celebrated the birth of
Jesus Christ.
"Conflict and lack of reconciliation in the world stem from the fact
that we are locked into our own interests and opinions, into our own
little private world," said the spiritual leader of the world's 1.1
billion Roman Catholics.
In Bethlehem, thousands of pilgrims celebrated Christmas in what is
believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, with festivities on a scale
unseen since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in 2001.
At midnight mass, the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land
called on the faithful to pray for peace in the Middle East.
"Its inhabitants are brothers who see each other as enemies," said the
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal. "This land will deserve to be
called holy when she breathes freedom, justice, love, reconciliation,
peace and security."
Live rock music mingled with traditional carols in Manger Square as
thousands of pilgrims and Palestinians joined the festivities, providing
some respite for a town living in the shadow of a huge Israeli-built
wall.
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, in her annual Christmas broadcast,
reflected on the challenges posed by the global economic slump.
"2009 was a difficult year for many, in particular those facing the
continuing effects of the economic downturn," the 83-year-old monarch
said.
As the deadliest year for British armed forces since the Falklands War
with Argentina in 1982 drew to a close, the queen also paid tribute to
servicemen and women fighting in Afghanistan.
Christmas celebrations in Iraq were marred by a bloody string of attacks
that killed 27 people Thursday, and 11 more Friday although Christians
were not directly targeted.
In the United States, at least 19 people were killed as a huge storm
system swirled above two-thirds of the nation, with blizzards and
freezing rain forcing scores of churches to cancel Christmas services.
US President Barack Obama left the chill behind, kicking off a family
holiday in his native Hawaii cheered by the Senate's adoption of his
health care reforms.
Snow, ice and stormy weather also piled more misery on Christmas holiday
travelers across Europe, disrupting road, rail and air travel.
In the Philippines, thousands displaced by an erupting volcano prepared
for a White Christmas of a different kind as Mount Mayon spewed
snow-like ash and politicians bearing gifts trooped to crowded
evacuation centers.
In Liberia, Africa's first woman president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, spent
Christmas in a notorious former prison camp where political prisoners
were tortured under a bloody 1980s dictatorship.
Venezuela's firebrand President Hugo Chavez meanwhile told his people to
end the gift-giving "insanity" of Christmas and instead read children
stories about independence hero Simon Bolivar.
US-based Cubans were able to fete Christmas with loved ones in their
native land, following the lifting of US travel curbs, such as Adrian, a
17-year-old from Florida who was seeing his Cuban grandfather for the
first time.
And Indian Kashmir's tiny Christian community prayed for peace in the
revolt-hit region as hundreds of Muslims joined them in festivities in
the ski resort of Gulmarg.
"Everyone prayed for the return of peace to our beautiful region," said
Kashmir's tourism minister Rigzin Jora after the Christmas Eve mass.
Source: AFP, December 26, 2009
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