Pope ushers in Easter
2004-04-11 11:29
Vatican City - Pope John Paul II has ushered in Easter on Sunday, capping a gruelling spate of Holy Week ceremonies with a Mass on the flower-decked steps of St. Peter's Square before thousands of people.
Dressed in golden robes and a jewelled mitre, the pope greeted the faithful from his wheeled throne as he celebrated the Roman Catholic Church's most joyous holiday - the day according to the Bible that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion.
The 83-year-old John Paul, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, appeared alert and spoke clearly at the start of the Mass, despite having struggled through a three-hour Easter Vigil that ended just a few hours earlier.
On Friday, he braved the chilly night air to preside over a re-enactment of Christ's Passion at Rome's Coliseum.
Later on Sunday, he was to deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message - Latin for "To the city and the world." In years past, the pope has used the message to reflect on such problems as war, terrorism and poverty.
He was also to deliver his annual Easter greetings - this year in 62 different languages.
Security was relatively tight around St. Peter's Square on Sunday, with Italian police and carabinieri officers checking the bags of pilgrims and tourists as they entered the piazza and a ring of police cars at its edge.
- SAPA