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Pope's Christmas call for peace
VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II used his midnight Mass homily to reinforce the message of peace while getting embroiled in Mideast tensions. In the hours ahead of the Christmas Eve service, the Vatican had tried unsuccessfully to help lift an Israeli ban on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat attending a Mass in Bethlehem. Tight security surrounded St. Peter's Square, which was crowded with thousands of tourists and worshippers for the pope's homily. The pope said: "In this night filled with sacred memories, our trust in the redemptive power of the word made flesh is confirmed. "When darkness and evil seem to prevail, Christ tells us once more: Fear not!
"By coming into the world he has vanquished the power of evil, freed us from the slavery of death and brought us back to the banquet of life. "These joyful tidings ... are also meant for us, the men and women of the dawn of the third millennium. Throughout the world, the community of believers gathers in prayer to listen to it once again. "Amid the cold and snow of winter or in the torrid heat of the tropics, tonight is a holy night for all." The 81-year-old pope, celebrating the 24th Christmas of his papacy, said Christ's message of light and hope was still valid. "If we listen to the relentless news headlines, these words of light and hope may seem like words from a dream. But that is precisely the challenge of faith, which makes this proclamation at once comforting and demanding," he said. "It makes us feel that we are wrapped in the tender love of God, while at the same time it commits us to a practical love of God and of our neighbor," he said. On December 24, the Vatican joined the international pressure against Israel for banning Arafat from the Bethlehem midnight Mass. Israel said Arafat would only be allowed to attend the service if the killers of Israeli Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze'evi were arrested. The Vatican said it had attempted "diplomatic steps" to end the standoff, with a spokesman for the pope calling Israel's stance "arbitrary." Arafat did not attend the Mass, saying he had been kept away by the Israeli ban. |
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