Thousands Join Pope in Luminous Rite

VATICAN CITY — Carrying a candle through the darkness, Pope John Paul II led a procession in St. Peter’s Basilica as part of an Easter vigil Saturday evening.

Thousands of worshipers lighted their own candles, and the packed church slowly filled with sparkling flames as the words lumen Christi, light of Christ, were intoned.

Cardinals, bishops and priests walked in a long line behind the pope, who was dressed in gold-trimmed white vestments. When he reached the altar, a deacon chanted the proclamation of Easter.

The service, the most solemn of the Catholic liturgical year, includes baptism by the pope of people from various nations selected by the Vatican for symbolic purposes.

This year, four Chinese were among those selected for the rite. The Roman Catholic Church is suppressed in mainland China, and the pope has urged Beijing to grant full religious freedom.

The pope began the ceremony by engraving the year 1998 and the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and omega, on a large, white paschal candle.

He then walked through the basilica, which was illuminated only by thousands of candles held by the congregation.

At the point in the service commemorating Christ’s resurrection, the basilica’s lights were flicked on to symbolize the light of the risen Christ bringing hope and salvation to humanity.

Hours later, on Easter Sunday morning, the pope was to celebrate Mass and deliver the traditional urbi et orbi (to the city and to the world) message at St. Peter’s Church.

* SOUTHLAND EASTER VIGIL: Hundreds are baptized in what is called one of the most moving liturgical observances. B3