Pope Makes Christmas Eve Appearance
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VATICAN CITY — Stressing the universal joy of Christmas, Pope John Paul II reached out to nonbelievers during a midnight Mass that began a scaled-down holiday schedule for the pontiff.
The 76-year-old pope, under doctors’ orders to slow down, canceled plans to celebrate Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica so he could get more rest before his annual message to the world.
In his homily at the midnight service in the flower-filled basilica, the pope spoke of the “profound source of Christmas joy.”
“We pray today for everyone, Christians and non-Christians, believers and nonbelievers alike,” the pope said in remarks to more than 10,000 people, including diplomats and top clergymen, attending the two-hour Mass on a rainy night.
The pope stopped to touch hands with some of the worshipers. He held a silver staff with his trembling left hand--a condition that has led to speculation he is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
By not celebrating the Christmas Day Mass in the basilica, the pontiff will have several hours rest before his annual “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) message from St. Peter’s Square.
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