Christmas Around the World
BROOKLYN— Sep. 25th -- NATO troops at Mass in Bosnia and OrthodoxChristians in the candlelit splendor of Istanbul’s cathedral keptthe flames of hope and peace burning on Christmas Day, while in thebirthplace of Jesus much of the season’s joy was lost in the sorrowof Israeli-Palestinian violence.
In Indonesia, after a spate of fatal church bombings onChristmas Eve, many Christians stayed away from services today for fear of renewed attacks. Although no one in the mostly Muslimnation claimed responsibility, President Abdurrahman Wahid blamedforces he said were intent on destabilizing the country.
The Catholic Church tried to ease the volatile situation after15 were killed and nearly 100 people were injured. “Even if weknow who is behind the bombings, I urge all Christians toforgive,” Indonesian Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja said today. Bittersweet BethlehemA weary Pope John Paul II was dismayed by the attacks inIndonesia, where, he said, “our brothers and sisters in faith,even on this Christmas Day, are undergoing a tragic time of trialand suffering.”
In his traditional Christmas Day message “Urbi et Orbi” (Latinfor “to the city and to the world”), the 80-year-old pontifflamented the “endless streams” of refugees from conflicts aroundthe world and spoke particularly of the Middle East, where“violence continues to stain with blood the difficult path topeace.”
In the nato town of Bethlehem, revered by Christians as thebirthplace of Jesus, the Christmas sprit of the past — and thetourism of the present — were subdued by the lingering animosity ofthree months of Palestinian-Israeli violence. At least 345 peoplehave been killed, most of them Palestinians.
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