Pope John Paul II turned his thoughts to victims of the Asian tsunami disaster in his New Year's prayers as the death toll edged towards 126,000
Published:
2 January 2005 y., Sunday
Pope John Paul II turned his thoughts to victims of the Asian tsunami disaster in his New Year's prayers as the death toll edged towards 126,000, and urged the world to strive towards peace through dialogue, justice and forgiveness.
The 84-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church addressed a special greeting to ambassadors of countries hit by the "terrible calamity" last Sunday in a sermon he read in its entirety at St Peter's Basilica.
"I assure them of my prayers for the victims of the catastrophe and for their families and I take note with satisfaction of the movement of solidarity which is developing everywhere in the world," he added.
"This sort of human solidarity, along with the grace of God, gives hope for better days to come in the year that begins today," he said.
A Vatican spokesman said the pontiff started off 2005 by celebrating mass in his private chapel at midnight for victims of the disaster that struck six days ago.
The pope, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease but was in relatively good form, said World Peace Day Saturday was "an invitation to Christians and to all men to reaffirm their wish to build peace".
Šaltinis:
nst.com.my
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
For the last 15 years European citizens living in another European country have been able to vote in that country's local and European elections.
more »
Zimbabwe is suffering from cholera.
more »
Metropolitan Kirill will head the Russian Orthodox Church temporarily following the death of Patriarch Alexiy II on Friday.
more »
U.S President George W. Bush celebrates his final Christmas in office - the lighting of the National Christmas tree.
more »
Under new draft laws, people travelling by bus and ship would enjoy the same rights as those taking a plane or train, including the right to meals, hotel accommodation and alternative services if the trip is cancelled or interrupted.
more »
The importance of individual happiness, which can be achieved with the help of universal human values - whether religious or non-religious - was one major theme in an address by the 14th Dalai Lama to the European Parliament on Wednesday.
more »
Although the European Parliament is now much more powerful than when it was first directly elected in 1979, voter turnout for elections has declined steadily, reaching a new low in 2004.
more »
The free tours are run by Sandemans New Europe - set up in 2004 by Chris Sandeman, who chose tourism over his family's traditional sherry business.
more »
Eighteen months after it began work, Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change called for an 80% cut in greenhouse gases by 2050, binding interim targets to improve energy efficiency 20% by 2020 and incentives to encourage everyone to do their bit.
more »
Israeli experts are using good old mathematical models to give a face in a photo the ideal characteristics in just a few mouse clicks.
more »