World Celebration Of Christmas

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30633, 26 December 1964, Page 13

World Celebration Of Christmas

(HZ. Press Assn —Copyright) JERUSALEM, December 25. Church bells echoed throughout the Holy Land early today with the call to midnight Masses celebrating Christ’s birth. At the stroke of midnight two huge projectors flung a giant cross in to the sky above Nazareth where Christ grew into manhood. At Bethlehem where, according to the Bible, a bright star guided the wise men to Christ's birth, the faithful flocked today into the city's churches. The churches also were crowded in Nazareth and Jerusalem. Christians, Jews and Moslems forgot their poli-

tical differences for the day. Both sides of this divided holy city were crowded with Christians from all over the world. A record 5000 Israeli Christians, mostly Arabs, crossed into the Jordan sector of the holy city to visit their relatives and holy places. Thousands of pilgrims meanwhile converged on : Nazareth, where six giant i trees were decorated with I glowing lights along Pope Paul VI avenue, named to mark the Pontiffs visit to the Holy Land. At Rachel’s tomb, eight i miles from Jerusalem, the l procession was received by 1 mayors and dignitaries from Bethlehem and the surrounding villages, about 10,000 pilgrims gathered In the square before the Church of the 'Nativity in Bethlehem to wel-

come the Patriarch. About 6000 Christian Arabs and foreigners living in Israel had passed through the Mandelbaum gate from the Israeli sector of Jerusalem on their way to Bethlehem. They are allowed to stay four days instead of 36 hours as in previous years. Yesterday’s armed clash between Jordanians and Israelis on Mount Scopus, only a couple of miles from Jerusalem, made no difference to the annual truce at Mandelbaum gate, where Jews and Moslems shelve their differences for a day to honour the Christian festival. Other reports: Vatican City: Cardinal Eugene Tisserant, Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. extended Christmas greetings to Pope Paul on behalf of the cardinals and

the Roman prelates at a traditional audience. The cardinal said 1964 would be remembered as the year of Pope Paul’s pilgrimages. Pope Paul, replying, expressed satisfaction at the third session of the Vatican Ecumenical Council but said other facts and aspects of the Church’s life were not always comforting. Peking: Cribs and illuminated Christmas trees decorated churches where Peking’s Christians they number about 20,000 —will attend services tonight, tomorrow and on Sunday. Small Christmas trees have been on sale at flower shops. But tomorrow is a normal working day. For Western Embassy staffs and their families

there will be religious services, children’s parties and Christmas fare including turkeys flown in specially from West Europe. At the local market, Christmas trees and fairy lights are on sale for the New Year, a big official Soviet holiday. West Berlin: More than 20,000 West Berliners, armed with day-passes and loaded with presents, streamed across the wall to celebrate Christmas with relatives in East Berlin. Dozens of Christmas trees stood along the wall. All flights into and out of West Berlin were solidly booked, and many relief trains were running. At military units throughout Germany, parties were being given for old people and children.