Pope pays tribute to killed priest

Pope Benedict XVI breaths in from an amphora containing blessed oil as he leads the Chrismal mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Picture / Reuters

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict today began a busy four days leading up to his first Easter as pontiff with a mass where he paid tribute to an Italian priest killed in Turkey two months ago.

The 78-year-old Pope led a solemn mass for thousands of people in St Peter's Basilica to mark Holy Thursday, the day the Roman Catholic Church commemorates when Christ founded the priesthood at his Last Supper on the night before he died.

"The evils of the world have to be borne and the pain has to be shared," the Pope said in the section of the homily where he specifically mentioned Father Andrea Santoro.

Santoro was shot dead in his church in Trabzon on Turkey's Black Sea coast on February 5.

A 16-year-old boy was charged with the murder, which local media said was inspired by protests against Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

At Santoro's funeral in Rome a week later, Italy's most senior cardinal, Camillo Ruini, said the murder had all the makings of a Christian martyrdom and that Santoro should be put on the road to sainthood.

The pontiff, who is due to visit predominantly Muslim Turkey in November, has said in the past he hoped the priest's death would contribute to the cause of dialogue among religions.

The Thursday morning service is called the Mass of the Chrism and during it the Pope blessed oils to be used for sacraments in the next 12 months.

This year marks the first Easter season for Pope Benedict.

His predecessor John Paul was in his dying days for all of last year's Easter season and was only able to make brief appearances in the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

John Paul died on April 2, a week after Easter.

Later today the Pope will travel to the Rome basilica of St John in Lateran where he will wash and kiss the feet of 12 men to commemorate Christ's gesture of humility to his apostles at the Last Supper.

On Good Friday, he will hold two services commemorating Christ's death, including a Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession around the ancient ruins of Rome's Colosseum.

He says an Easter Eve mass on Saturday night and on Sunday will deliver an Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) blessing and message.

- REUTERS