ACT: Standing room only in Canberra's churches

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2004
ACT: Standing room only in Canberra's churches

CANBERRA, April 11 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard joined the faithful at Canberra's
St Paul's Cathedral today as thousands packed churches for Easter Sunday services.

It was standing room only at Canberra's Catholic cathedral as more than 1,000 worshippers
attended Mass.

St Christopher's Cathedral was packed for all four Masses today as Archbishop Francis
Carroll credited Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ for an increased interest
in religion this Easter.

The movie had helped remind people of the story of the resurrection, Archbishop Carroll said.

"Holy Week and Easter speak to us of the fundamental dimension of our communion as,
together with Jesus, we share life in its suffering and dying, its joys and its rising
to new life, even eternal life," he said.

George Browning, the Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, combined the Rwandan
genocide, terror attacks and the football scandals in his Easter address.

Bishop Browning said it often appeared there was little justice in the world.

But he said Easter denied dark things the last word.

"Easter offers a different word, a different possibility, for those who would but live
in its light," Bishop Browning said.

"So far there is no indication that football codes are willing to do anything other
than avoid Easter possibilities that could flow out of the terrible events with which
their season has begun.

"There is also little indication that Western political powers will do anything other
than use terror as a weapon to cement political advantage at home, rather than seriously
come to grips with complex situations overseas."

Across the road from St Christopher's, staff at the Greater Union cinema reported a
steady stream of viewers for The Passion of the Christ.

Duty manager Jessica Weijers said interest in the movie had picked up over the Easter
weekend, with about 350 people through on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

"It's not our top-selling movie but we have had a lot more people through this weekend,"

she said.

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KEYWORD: EASTER ACT LEAD

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