Pope Benedict Conducts Easter Eve Baptism
Mar 23rd, 2008 by Steven
As a non-Christian, I’ve little knowledge about the Easter celebration and its significance. When I was young, I associated it with Easter bunnies and chocolate. Later, I learned that Easter Sunday is an occasion where Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, believe to have occurred on the third day after His crucifixion (Good Friday). I was once told that devout Christians would celebrate Easter following 40 days of fasting, known as Lent.
While reading more into this year’s Easter celebration, it was enlightening to read a Reuters report that Pope Benedict, in leading the world’s Catholics in celebrating Easter, had conducted a baptism ceremony at the Vatican on Easter eve. Among the 7 converts the Pope baptized was a Muslim-born Italian journalist.
Before the Easter eve service started, the Vatican issue a statement, saying: “For the Catholic Church, each person who asks to receive baptism after a deep personal search, a fully free choice and adequate preparation, has a right to receive it.”
(Reuters) Pope Benedict XVI leading a Easter Vigil mass in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican on March 22