The late Pope John Paul II moved a major step closer to sainthood on Sunday at a ceremony that drew about a million and half people, the largest crowd in Rome since his funeral six years ago.
“From now on Pope John Paul shall be called ‘blessed’,” Pope Benedict proclaimed in Latin, establishing that his predecessor’s feast day would be October 22, the day John Paul II’s pontificate was inaugurated in 1978.
To the crowd’s cheers, a tapestry showing a smiling John Paul was unveiled after Pope Benedict read the proclamation. St. Peter’s Square was packed and the crowd stretched as far back as the Tiber River. Many of the participants were from John Paul native Poland. Dozens of Polish flags bobbed above the crowd and a cheer went up when some Poles released a large banner reading “Thank You, God”.
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Gaddafi’s son,3 grandkids die in air raid
Tripoli, May 1: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi survived a Nato airstrike on a Tripoli house that killed his youngest son Saif al-Arab and three young grandchildren, a government spokesman said Sunday.
Libyan officials took journalists to the house, which was hit by at least three missiles.
The roof had completely caved in at places, leaving mangled rods of steel hanging among splintered chunks of concrete.
The deaths were not independently confirmed. But they are sure to heap pressure on Nato — which denies targeting the Gaddafi family — from those who say this goes beyond its UN mandate to protect civilians. It would also show Col. Gaddafi’s own vulnerability. —Reuters