Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

rpj m Sou Diocese of Savannah hem Contents Ooss News . ... 1-3 Commentary ... 4-5 Around the Diocese .. .... 6-7 Faith Alive! .... 8-9 Notices .. 10-11 Last But Not Least . .. 12 Vol. 79, No. 39 Thursday, November 11,1999 $.50 PER ISSUE Protests fizzle, good will prevails during pope's November 5-8 visit. That’s not head- as she waited for the pope’s arrival at By John Thavis New Delhi (CNS) D espite much talk of fundamental ist Hindu protests and the poten tial for extremist violence, Pope John Paul II’s visit to India went off without a hitch—much to the delight of church planners and government hosts. Those expecting an interreligious battle in New Delhi were disappoint ed. In the end, protests fizzled and good will prevailed during the line news, perhaps. But many Indians appeared tired of what they saw as “media hype” over the Hindu extrem ist agenda, with its demand for a freeze on Christian conversions and a papal apology for historical church misdeeds. “This is a free country, a democra cy, and there are small groups of pro testers. I don’t think it goes beyond that,” Margaret Alva, one of 22 Christians in India’s Parliament, said the presidential palace November 6. Even Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, whose Hindu nationalist coalition has links to some of the most strident Hindu organiza tions, told the pope that it was the “intolerant fringes” of Indian society who were causing problems. The government allowed demon strations but banned them near papal event sites, saying the pope should be welcomed as a guest and a holy man. Most Holy Trinity choir sings for pope The Church of the Most Holy Trinity Choir is shown at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, where they sang in October. The choir, along with the pastor, Father Allan J. Mc Donald, organist John Wm. Cargile, guest conductor William Toole and other pilgrims toured Italy during a concert tour. The choir sang at Santa Maria dei Ricci Church in Florence, the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, Saint Peter's Basilica and Saint Ignatius Church in Rome. The choir also sang for Pope John Paul II at an audience. India visit That was a prevailing sentiment among Indians, according to Divine Word Father Dominic Emmannuel, spokesman for the Indian bishops’ conference. “The people making protests have managed to get a lot of attention because of the way they have handled the media,” he said. The much-ballyhooed cross-country caravan of Hindus protesting the church’s history of missionary work in India rolled through the streets of (Continued on page 11) Next week: Special coverage of the diocesan pilgrimage to Rome