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Catholic leader calls off midnight Mass in Gaza
 The head of Gaza's tiny Roman Catholic community on Saturday cancelled Christmas eve's Midnight Mass celebration, citing recent Palestinian infighting between the rival Fatah and Hamas movements. Father Manuel Musallem said Christian children in Gaza are scared, especially after the three young sons of a Palestinian security officer were gunned down in broad daylight as they went to school two weeks ago. "The children told me Santa Claus won't come this year because it's too dangerous," he said.Musallem planned to celebrate evening Mass but called off Midnight Mass and Christmas day celebrations. He said the community was protesting the infighting, which has claimed 17 lives since the young children were killed, as well as the international boycott of the Hamas-led government. The sanctions have caused widespread hardship in Gaza. About 300 Christians attended a protest on Saturday outside of the parliament building in Gaza. Only about 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, a crowded conservative Muslim society of roughly 1.4 million people. The Roman Catholic community has roughly 300 people, most of the area's Christians are Greek Orthodox. Posted by: Fred 2006-12-25 |
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