Pope Christmas message calls for end to violence in Syria

 AP Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful during the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the City and to the World) message in St. Peter's square at the Vatican on Sunday. Pope Benedict XVI called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria and the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in his Christmas message on Sunday, an appeal for peace that was challenged by deadly attacks on Nigerian churches.

Pope Benedict delivered his Urbi et Orbi speech (Latin for “to the city and to the world“) from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking a sun-drenched piazza below, before thousands of jubilant tourists and pilgrims, and hundreds of colourful Swiss Guards and Italian military bands.

The 84-year-old pope, fresh off a late-night Christmas Eve Mass, said he prayed that the birth of Jesus, which Christmas celebrates, would send a message to all who need to be saved from hardships.

He cited refugees from the Horn of Africa and flood victims in Thailand, among others, and called for greater political dialogue in Myanmar, and stability in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa’s Great Lakes region.

He said he prayed that God would help the Israelis and the Palestinians resume talks.

“May he bring an end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed,” he said.

The pope didn’t mention the deadly blasts on churches in Nigeria, but the Vatican issued a statement denouncing the attacks as a sign of “cruelty and absurd, blind hatred” that shows no respect for human life.

Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said the Catholic church was praying for all Nigerians confronting “this terrorist violence in these days that should be filled with peace and joy.”

The Vatican press office noted that Benedict’s speech was prepared well in advance of the attacks.

After his speech, Benedict delivered Christmas greetings in 65 different languages, from Mongolian to Maori, Aramaic to Albanian, Tamil to Thai. He finished the list with Guarani and Latin, as the bells tolled from St. Peter’s enormous bell towers.

In the West Bank, hundreds of Christian faithful, defying lashing rains and wind, celebrated Christmas Mass at Jesus’ traditional birthplace of Bethleham on Sunday, spirits high despite the gloomy weather.

Worshippers dressed in their holiday best rushed under cover of umbrellas into St. Catherine’s Church on Manger Square, leaving the plaza, with its 50-foot-tall Christmas tree, deserted. The church was packed, and the overflow crowd waited eagerly in an arched corridor for a chance to enter.

Inside, supplicants, some dressed in the traditional attire of foreign lands, raised their voices in prayer, kissed a plaster statue of a baby Jesus and took communion. St. Catherine’s is attached to the smaller Church of the Nativity, which is built over a grotto where devout Christians believe Jesus was born.

“Lots of pilgrims from around the world are coming to be here on Christmas,” said Don Moore, 41, a psychology professor from Berkeley, California, who came to Bethlehem with his family. “We wanted to be part of the action. This is the place, this is where it all started.”

With turnout at its highest in more than a decade, proud Palestinian officials said they were praying the celebrations would bring them closer to their dream of independence.

In Britain, the leader of the world’s Anglicans, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the summer riots in Britain and the financial crisis have broken bonds and abused trust in British society.

In his Christmas Day sermon, Rowan Williams appealed to those congregated at Canterbury Cathedral to learn lessons about “mutual obligation” from the events of the past year. He said Sunday “the most pressing question” now facing Britain is “who and where we are as a society.”

“Bonds have been broken, trust abused and lost,” he said.

Cabinet to discuss lokpal today, Anna calls it worthless

The union cabinet is likely to meet on Tuesday to approve the contentious Lokpal Bill even as Anna Hazare described the government draft as "worthless and good for nothing". If it gets the Cabinet nod the bill will be passed in Parliament on Dec 21.
As the winter session ends Dec 22, the government may extend it for a day Dec 23 or may reconvene parliament from Dec 27-29 post-Christmas holidays to pass the Lokpal bill.

Parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal has informed the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the government's intention to extend the session.

Both parties have also issued whips to their members to be present in parliament till Dec 22. 

Sources said an extension might be required as the draft bill has over 60 amendments and more could come from opposition members when the legislation is debated in parliament.

Sources said keeping in mind the high number of amendments, the government is likely to bring a new bill in the Lok Sabha for clarity after withdrawing the one already introduced.

The cabinet meeting could not be held Monday after home minister P Chidambaram found fault with the drafting of the bill.

A crack team including Chidambaram, law minister Salman Khurshid and minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy - all lawyers by training - scrutinised the government draft for any loopholes in a meeting which lasted over two-and-half hours.

Khurshid later told reporters the final draft will be cleared by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday night.

According to sources, the bill is likely to bring the prime minister under the ombudsman with riders. Sources said the government is not keen on bringing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completely under the Lokpal, as being demanded by Anna Hazare.

In a first, the bill, which will suggest a constitutional status for Lokpal, will provide for reservation for SC/ST, women and minorities in the anti-graft ombudsman.

While the government is open to bring the 57 lakh lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal, with proper procedures, it is unlikely to bring a citizen's charter under it. The government plans to introduce a separate bill for the purpose, said sources.

Government sources said they hope the draft bill would be acceptable to a large number of people in the house except those who are opposed to the concept of Lokpal.

Minister of state for planning Ashwani Kumar said: "The government and Congress are trying to build consensus on the Lokpal by consulting its allies and parties in opposition."

However, sounding a word of caution, union minister Farooq Abdullah said parliament should keep in mind that "a super government to the government is not formed while creating the Lokpal".

Meanwhile, in Pune Hazare termed the proposed bill as "worthless and good for nothing" and cancelled his plan to visit Delhi on Monday.

"We will fill up jails in New Year," said Hazare reiterating he would launch a new movement, 'Jail Bharo Andolan' (fill up jails), from Jan 1 in front of the houses of Member of Parliament (MPs) if they attempt to dilute the Lokpal bill.