Celebrations to be 'moderate' due to violence
The mass in Bethlehem this year will be dedicated to victims of violence and their families while celebrations should be "moderate" due to violence in the Middle East and worldwide, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Fouad Twal, has said.
Dec 25, 2015

BETHLEHEM: The mass in Bethlehem this year will be dedicated to victims of violence and their families while celebrations should be "moderate" due to violence in the Middle East and worldwide, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Fouad Twal, has said.
He has also called for parishes to switch off Christmas tree lights for five minutes in solidarity with victims of violence and "terrorism".
In his Christmas message earlier this month, he said "a deadly ideology based on religious fanaticism and obstinacy" was "spreading terror and barbarism amidst innocent people".
The midnight mass was attended by religious leaders and dignitaries including Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
In Iraq, the mood was sombre, as the dwindling Christian community trickled in to churches, while in Somalia, the government has banned celebrations of Christmas and New Year in the Muslim majority country, saying the festivities might attract Islamist attacks.
The US and British embassies in China also issued an unusual warning about possible threats against "Westerners" in a popular Beijing neighbourhood ahead of the Christmas holiday.
Security was due to be stepped up at churches in France for mass, following last month's Paris attacks that left 130 people dead.
Heavily armed soldiers patrolled outside the city's landmarks and iconic Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores, still doing a brisk last-minute Christmas trade though notably less crowded than usual.
In Somalia, the government has banned celebrations of Christmas and New Year in the Muslim majority country, saying the festivities might attract Islamist attacks.
The same is true in oil-rich Brunei, where the country's authorities threatened five-year jail sentences for those who violate a ban imposed on "open and excessive" celebrations.
And in the troubled southern Philippines, seven Christian farmers were killed as Muslim guerrillas launched a series of attacks.--ABC
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