Pope Benedict has condemned drug trafficking and corruption at a huge open-air Mass in Mexico. Around 300,000 people gathered to hear the Pope's message beside the Christ the King monument in Silao, one of the most important symbols of Mexican Catholicism. James Read has more.
This open-air Mass was the main event of Pope Benedict's first visit to Mexico. He used it to address the country's most pressing problems. In the face of violence, corruption and poverty, he urged Catholics to look to their faith and put aside thoughts of revenge. At a time of suffering, he said, the Church offered
consolation
, strength and hope. Catholicism is
under pressure
in Mexico from both secularisation and
evangelical
churches, but the warm reception given to the Pope shows that it remains deeply
embedded
in the soul of the nation.
French prosecutors have issued preliminary murder and terrorism charges against the elder brother of Mohammed Merah, the man who shot dead seven people, including Jewish children, in the city of Toulouse. Prosecutors say there are indications that Abdelkader Merah helped his brother to prepare the attacks. But his lawyer said he had no role in the killings and denied earlier reports that he'd been proud of his brother's actions.
World News from the BBC
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