Easter Marked By Prayers, Marred By Blood
As Christians Celebrate Holy Day Around The World, Soldiers Come Under Fire In Baghdad
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Armenian priests consecrate some one hundred red eggs during an Easter mass in the town of Varna, north-east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Sunday, March, 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov)
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Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful as he leaves after celebrating mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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Iraqi Christians touch a cross, during an Easter service in a church in Baghdad, Sunday, March 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
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U.S. soldiers read verses as they celebrate Easter with a sunrise service at Camp Victory, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 23, 2008. Suspected Shiite extremists fired two barrages Sunday at the U.S.-protected Green Zone, and a suicide bomber stuck an Iraqi army position in northern Iraq, killing 10 Iraqi soldiers and wounding 50 others. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)
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U.S. Army soldiers scramble out of a bunker after getting the "all clear" signal, after a car bomb disrupted a sunrise worship service to celebrate Easter Sunday at Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, March 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
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Photo Essay Easter Around The World Celebrations mark one of the holiest of days.
A white canopy on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica protected the 80-year-old pontiff from the chilly rain, while thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans huddled under a sea of colored umbrellas in the square.
The crowd was expected to grow before the noon Urbi et Orbi (Latin for "to the city and to the world") address, which has previously been an occasion for pontiffs to speak about the globe's conflicts and other problems.
Just before the late morning Mass began, a thunderclap competed with a chorus of "Alleluia," and the already gray sky grew darker.
A rainstorm forced the pope to skip walking in the Way of the Cross Good Friday procession at the Colosseum.
Christians on Easter celebrate their belief in the resurrection of Jesus two days after he was crucified.
Benedict told the faithful in the square that the resurrection "broke the chains of death" and that thanks to the apostles' preaching, "thousands and thousands of persons converted to Christianity."
"And this is a miracle which renews itself even today," the pope said at the start of the Easter Day Mass.
Allam, 55, is deputy editor of Corriere della Sera newspaper and writes often on Muslim and Arab affairs. He was born a Muslim in Egypt, but was educated by Catholics and says he has never been a practicing Muslim.
Saying he was writing as a "private citizen," Allam said in a letter published Sunday in Corriere that he was now taking on a middle name, "Cristiano," (Christian in Italian). "From now on, I will call myself Magdi Cristiano Allam," he wrote, expressing gratitude to Benedict.
The day of his baptism was "the most beautiful day of my life," Allam wrote.
"The miracle of the resurrection of Christ reverberated in my soul, freeing it from the shadows of a preaching where hate and intolerance toward he who is different, toward he who is condemned as an 'enemy,' prevailed over love and respect for your neighbor."
I think [Jesus] would be appalled that people can't get along. He would be crying.
Jeri MinasyThe pope himself has come under verbal attack from Islamic militants.
Osama bin Laden, in a new audio message posted last week, accused Benedict of playing a role in what he called a "new Crusade" against Islam. The Vatican has described the accusation as baseless.
Security during papal public appearances was stepped up in 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks, and there has been no noticeable increase in protective measures since the new message surfaced.
Christians Gather In Jerusalem To Mark Easter Sunday
Pilgrims thronged Christian holy sites in Jerusalem on Sunday, braving a heightened security alert to celebrate Easter in the city where they believe Jesus was resurrected on this day two millennia ago.
In the walled Old City, hundreds of believers escaped the stifling temperatures of an unseasonable heat wave and filled the cool, dark rooms of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. The odor of incense wafted from the church doors into the courtyard outside.
Ahead of the weekend, security forces deployed thousands of officers nationwide to secure events connected with Easter and the Jewish festival of Purim. The alert was also high because of Israeli concerns about a possible revenge attack for the assassination of a Hezbollah commander last month in Syria.
Israel denied involvement, but Hezbollah has blamed the Jewish state and threatened to avenge his death with an attack on Israeli targets.
On March 6, a Palestinian gunman killed eight young students at a Jerusalem rabbinical seminary, the first major attack in the city in four years.
Jeri Minasy, 59, a retired flight attendant from Newnan, Georgia, said the recent violence couldn't deter her from spending Easter in Jerusalem. She called the experience "special, mystic and spiritual."
But she wondered what Jesus would think about the bloodshed. "I think he would be appalled that people can't get along. He would be crying," Minasy said.
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More From World
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 551 CommentsSo, according to TruthWord, he is not sane.
Posted by honestabe8 at 12:28 PM : Mar 26, 2008
He said it. We just drew the logical inference. Too bad nobody ever showed him how a Venn diagram works.
WOW.............
it makes sence now.....
These are the types of people who are dangerous in our society. They are completely psycho and have no tolerance towards Christians, so they attack.
To all the sane posters and other Christians on these boards: Be warned.
Posted by truthword08 at 10:19 AM : Mar 26, 2008
Really? The only posts I''ve seen from TruthWord08 have been prostelytizing for Jesus. Can you give us an example of one of the atheist posts?
By the way rick, since you have no tolerance at all for gay people, do you think you have a leg to stand on?
Some atheist/secularist has taken the time to hack into not only my sign on name on here, but evidently my email account as well.
These are the types of people who are dangerous in our society. They are completely psycho and have no tolerance towards Christians, so they attack.
To all the sane posters and other Christians on these boards: Be warned.
Posted by Providence_ at 12:07 AM : Mar 26, 2008
I see, that''s too bad, must have been very painful for you growing up. My parents were and are married. They brought me up to be a christian, but they over-educated me and I ended up going with my gut instinct, which I had when I was eight, which was: "This is crazy, you mean to tell me my salvation depends on whether I accept this guy as my lord and saviour? That''s whacked, I can''t help what I do or do not believe in. I believe what makes sense, and I don''t believe what makes no sense. This krap makes no sense, so I don''t believe!" Even as a child I could tell that the emperor had no clothes!
Did you ever go to church?
Posted by Providence_ at 11:59 PM : Mar 25, 2008
Were you a heavy drug-user who needed Jesus to help get you off your addiction? It''s okay if you did. Lots of people need a crutch to deal with their drug addiction. Now that you have your habit kicked though, it''s time to take that next step to start believing yourself again.
and did you feel loved?
You do not need to answer the last question if you do not want to, OK.
Did you ever go to church?
Posted by Providence_ at 11:59 PM : Mar 25, 2008
Wow, you have the whole David Koresh thing down. Sorry, you''ll have to find another sucker. But now that we are on the subject, let''s hear about your mom and dad. Sounds like your parents were not married. True? (Most religious fanatics had traumatic childhoods and turned to religion to help heal the pain.)
was singinrick helpful towards anything you might have been sharing?
Posted by TruthWord08 at 09:37 AM : Mar 24, 2008
Singinrick is a liar. He refuses to admit that he is TruthWord08. Rick, do you know you are violating one of the ten commandments? I think that gets you about 10,000 years in hell, but no worries, it''s only a blip in eternity.
and did you feel loved?
You do not need to answer the last question if you do not want to, OK.
Did you ever go to church?
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See all 551 Comments