John
03-22-2009, 05:40 PM
Pope 'upset' at stadium deaths
Tens of thousands of Angola's Catholics have lined the streets of the capital for a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI, who urged the country's faithful to reach out and convert people who believed in witchcraft.
But a stampede at a stadium before one of the Pope's speeches left two people dead and others injured.
"The Pope is very upset," Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi said.
The stampede broke out as the gates to Coqueiros stadium opened hours before Benedict arrived, Mr Lombardi said.
Portuguese news agency LUSA cited an unidentified source at a local hospital as saying a man and a woman were killed, eight others were taken to hospital with minor injuries, and 10 were given medical help at the site.
An AP reporter saw another stampede break out when the Pope arrived, and at least 20 people were taken away in ambulances.
The 81-year-old pontiff, wearing white robes, looked tired and moved slowly in the tropical heat during the stadium appearance before about 30,000 people in the late afternoon.
He gave a message of hope to young people, including some wounded and maimed during Angola's long civil war that started with Angola's 1975 independence from Portugal and ended in 2002.
Tens of thousands of Angola's Catholics have lined the streets of the capital for a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI, who urged the country's faithful to reach out and convert people who believed in witchcraft.
But a stampede at a stadium before one of the Pope's speeches left two people dead and others injured.
"The Pope is very upset," Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi said.
The stampede broke out as the gates to Coqueiros stadium opened hours before Benedict arrived, Mr Lombardi said.
Portuguese news agency LUSA cited an unidentified source at a local hospital as saying a man and a woman were killed, eight others were taken to hospital with minor injuries, and 10 were given medical help at the site.
An AP reporter saw another stampede break out when the Pope arrived, and at least 20 people were taken away in ambulances.
The 81-year-old pontiff, wearing white robes, looked tired and moved slowly in the tropical heat during the stadium appearance before about 30,000 people in the late afternoon.
He gave a message of hope to young people, including some wounded and maimed during Angola's long civil war that started with Angola's 1975 independence from Portugal and ended in 2002.