THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510080065
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Central Park was transformed into a giant open-air cathedral Saturday as Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass before a flock of 130,000, urging Americans to stand up for family life and side with the homeless, the disabled and people with AIDS.
``Do not be afraid to search for God. Then it will truly be the land of the free and the home of the brave,'' the pope said at the end of the service. ``God bless America.''
A gold carpet in the shape of a cross stretched across the Great Lawn, while Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack and the Boys Choir of Harlem were among the performers who filled the park with sacred music in the muted light of a cloudy October morning. Tenor Placido Domingo sang at Communion.
Though the pope appeared no more than a speck to many, his mere presence was enough for the faithful. ``It feels very important to be in the same park that the pope is in,'' said Anthony Michalik, 42, an actor who showed before dawn for the 9:30 a.m. Mass. ``It definitely gives you a sense of community and a feeling that you are with your brothers and sisters who really love this man.''
Among the guests in the opening processional were several non-Catholic religious leaders, including religious broadcaster Pat Robertson.
Later in the day, the pope led prayers and the rosary at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He also met privately with Robertson and others religious leaders at Cardinal John O'Connor's Midtown residence.
When the pope greeted Robertson, the two men talked briefly about television broadcasting, Christian unity and world evangelism, said Gene Kapp, a CBN spokesman.
When Robertson told the pope that the American people love him, the pontiff took hold of both of Robertson's hands and shook them warmly. During the half-hour meeting, Robertson gave the pope a three-page letter stressing that there is much agreement between Catholics and evangelicals and a need for cooperation.
``While there are doctrinal differences that separate us,'' Robertson wrote, ``I strongly believe the moral crisis facing society today and the obvious social breakdown mandates a closer cooperation between people of faith including evangelicals and Catholics. I stand with you in your defense of human life and your condemnation of the `culture of death.' '' by CNB