Christians in Holy Land celebrate John Paul II

AFP - Latin Christians marked Sunday's beatification of Pope John Paul II with services in Bethlehem, with Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad evoking the late pontiff's words "do not fear."

The current pope, Benedict XVI, bestowed the status of "blessed" on his predecessor the same day in front of a million people in a Vatican-ceremony that puts the late pope one step away from sainthood.

In remarks to worshippers, most of them Palestinians, Fayyad spoke of last week's decision by long-time rivals Hamas and Fatah to bury the hatchet and evoked John Paul's words.

Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority, headed by Fayyad's boss Mahmoud Abbas, agreed to a reconciliation deal with its bitter rival Hamas on Wednesday.

The deal envisages an interim government of independents who would govern for a year until presidential and legislative elections can be held.

"Do not fear, do not fear, you defend the values of liberty and justice," Fayyad said.

In his remarks, Benedict also recalled the phrase: "Do not fear, open wide the doors to Christ!"

A mass in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, was presided over by Monsignor Antonio Franco, the apostolic delegate for Jerusalem and Palestine and the nuncio in Israel.

Also present were numerous clergy and members of religious orders in the Holy Land, as well as a number of people from Italian associations that support the Holy Land's John Paul II Foundation.

Later, a solemn mass of thanksgiving was celebrated by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Fuad Twal.

John Paul made a pilgrimage to Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2000.

A declaration signed by clergy in the Holy Land spoke of how they had seen the way a saint had lived, and heard his voice -- strong at the beginning of his pontificate and weak at the end of his life, and how he had been unable to speak at all on the Easter before his death.

"Our hands touched a saint," they added.