{UAH} Rome gets ready for Easter 2017

Friday evening's Way of the Cross presided by Pope Francis at Rome's Colosseum attracted 

70,000 pilgrims is pite of a chill in the Eternal City

Earlier on Wednesday Pope Francis paid a courtesy visit to reitred Pope Benedict XVI within

the Vatican. He wished the retired colleague a good festive Easter season and handed to him a gift for the occasion. Benedict XVI will be commemorating his 90th birthday anniversary on Easter Day itself.

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All roads now lead to Rome where Pope Francis will be celebrating the great Easter Mass in St Peter's Square and subsequently deliver his Easter Message and give his Urbi et Orbi Blessing to the City of rome and to the whole world. Half a million people are expected to pack the vast St Peter's Square and its surroundings. Normally on Easter the Square is almost full two hours before the beginning of the Papal Mass. If the weather is good hundreds of thousands of people will certainly turn up for the ceremonies which will be televised live to over a billion people all over the world.The Way of the Cross has been watched worldwide by an audience estimated at hundreds of millions of viewers. 

Then there is the Easter Vigil baptismal ceremonies in the midnight Mass. The Pope is expected to baptise several catechumens from all continents. This is the annual occasion which sees the Church adding almost 7 million members to her global totals. Most of these baptisms come from Africa which contributes a full third of all Easter Vigil baptisms. 

The USA will provide 70,000 such baptisms today! China will float with 30,000   !

France is baptising 4503 catechumens 1500 of whom coming from the Paris zone. The youngest catechumen is 18 and the oldest 81. 

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo

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