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Thousands Converge On Bethlehem To Celebrate Christmas
BBC NEWS, MIDDLE EAST
December 24, 2010: Thousands of people have been converging on the West Bank town of Bethlehem to mark Christmas. The most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the Middle East is to celebrate midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity - built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was born. Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal will offer a message of peace.
Meanwhile in the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI has begun celebrating an evening Mass at St Peter's Basilica. Ahead of the Mass in Bethlehem, the crowds filling Manger Square were in festive mood, correspondents said. Musicians performed, children clutched balloons and ate candyfloss, and the square was awash with colored lights.
Patriarch Fouad Twal is expected to refer to the plight of Iraqi Christians, who have repeatedly come under attack. More than 50 people were killed in October when security forces stormed a Catholic church in Baghdad to free dozens of hostages.
The number of tourists visiting Bethlehem has been rising in recent years as violence has decreased. Some 90,000 visitors are expected in the town during the Christmas season - up from about 70,000 last year, according to Israeli government figures.
Arriving in Bethlehem, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he hoped the coming year would finally bring peace.
