Posted on 05/14/2009 10:03:19 PM PDT by americanophile
NAZARETH, Israel, May 14 -- A newly erected concrete spire sliced high into the air over an altar spread beneath, turning a dusty amphitheater here in northern Israel into a church foNational flags and ecumenical banners stood out in the breeze, and quavering Arabic melodies alternated with the sounds of English and Latin. Pope Benedict XVI traveled to the boyhood home of Jesus on Thursday to celebrate the final Mass of his eight-day trip to the Middle East. The ceremony served as a boisterous send-off for the 82-year-old pontiff, who returns to Rome on Friday. "Viva al baba!" the crowd shouted at the end of the Mass, lending an Arabic touch to a standard Italian papal cheer, "Viva il papa!" "Magnificent. Amazing," Nazareth resident Samia Barham said of the Mass as she stood in a crowd of what news media estimated at 50,000. r tens of thousands.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
neato
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