- Title: VATICAN CITY: POPE PAUL GIVES CHRISTMAS BLESSING FROM VATICAN.
- Date: 26th December 1975
- Summary: 1. GV PAN ACROSS Crowd in St. Peter's Square to Pope on Vatican balcony. 0.10 2. TV Section of crowd. 0.13 3. LV Pope giving blessing. 0.38 4. LV (SAME SHOT) (Crowd Applauding) PULL BACK TO GV Pope waving as crowd applauds. 1.19 5. LV Pope waving 1.28 Initials VS 21.30 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th January 1976 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VATICAN CITY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA5HVJU4LFRWXPIVUOLLOBSF8YU
- Story Text: In his Christmas message to the world's 650-million Roman Catholics on Thursday (25 December), Pope Paul said that the "overwhelming uproar" of modern life tended to stifle the word of God, but youth was turning back to religion.
The 78-year-old Pontiff said he found it consoling that some people were listening to the message of revelation and renewal.
Speaking to a crowd of 100,000 from his balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square, Pope Paul said that past generations had infected youth "with the insanity of war for power, of materialism as the only justice, or pleasure as a confused attitude towards the higher duties and destinies of life."
But the Pope added "the emptiness, young people, has devastated you and an intimate and powerful longing has brought you back almost unconsciously to the sphere of an invitation that cannot be rejected: 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you'".
On Wednesday (24 December, 1975), Pope Paul formally ended the Catholic Church's "Holy Year" by shutting the bronze holy door in St. Peter's.
The door is opened only during Holy Years, which have been celebrated by the Church every quarter-century since the year 1300. This year an estimated eight million pilgrims visited Rome.
Pope Paul blessed the crowd, wishing Catholics a happy Christmas in eleven languages, including, for the first time, Swahili.
In English he said "a blessed Christmas in the joy and peace of Christ."
He then extended his Apostolic blessing and a traditional plenary indulgence -- full remission of the punishment due for sins.
An estimated audience of three hundred million watched Pope Paul on television as he spoke.
SYNOPSIS: Pope Paul gave his traditional Christmas message to the world's six hundred and fifty million Roman Catholics on Thursday. He spoke from his balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square in Rome.
An estimated crowd of a hundred thousand gathered to hear Pope Paul. He told them that the overwhelming uproar of modern life tended to stifle the word of God, but youth was turning back to religion. Modern youth, he said rejected what he saw as empty philosophy of a materialist society. Young people were ready to listen to the word of God.
Pope paul said that past generations had infected youth with the insanity of war for power, of materialism as the only justice, or pleasure as a confused attitude towards the higher duties and destinies of life. But he added that the emptiness had devastated young people and an intimate and powerful longing had brought them back, almost unconsciously to the word of God.
This year was also recognised as a Holy Year by the Roman Catholic church and it officially ended on the day before Christmas when the Pope closed the bronze holy door at St. Peter's.
After his address, the Pope blessed all Roman Catholics. He wished them a Happy Christmas in eleven languages, including, for the first time, Swahili.
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