LINDA STOUFFER, CNN CENTER, ATLANTA: The Bible describes a starry night meant to symbolize new hope for mankind. Two thousand years later, Christians began celebrating the birth of Christ under a much drearier setting, perhaps both real and symbolic. A cold rain fell on some 50,000 peopled gathered in St. Peter's Square to celebrate midnight mass, normally held inside the Basilica. The service was held outside for the first time this year to accommodate the large number of worshipers. In his homily, Pope John Paul II recalled his recent trip to the Middle East and described the ongoing violence there as, quote, "a sad time for the region." The fighting has certainly left its mark on the town where Christians believe Christ was born. Mike Hanna has that story.</s>MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Midnight mass in Bethlehem, the town in which Christians believe Jesus Christ was born. The occasion of his birth normally viewed as a time of peace and joy, but not this year. In the past three months, there's been little but conflict and sadness, the nighttime sky viewed from Bethlehem at times filled with tracer fire, no sign of the single, shining star that tradition has it shone on the night that Jesus was born. On this Christmas night, rain and high winds add to the depression of the Manger Square that is all but deserted. Among those attending the midnight mass, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. This the first time he has visited the West Bank since the violence began at the end of September. Earlier in the day, he'd met Palestinian negotiators who'd returned from Washington and discussed the latest attempts to get peace negotiations back on track. Among some, still the faith that better times will come, that Bethlehem will be once again a symbol of peace, where thousands of pilgrims come to honor Christ and sing the words of the traditional carol, "the hopes and fears of all the years will be met in thee tonight." (on camera): But on this rainy night exactly 2000 years after Christians believe that Jesus Christ was born, there is far more fear than hope. Mike Hanna, CNN, Bethlehem.
Midnight Mass in Bethlehem: Manger Square Shrouded in Rain, High Winds, Fear