In event of the sad demise of our holy father , the pope , this website will not be updated for the next three days (until april 5 th exept for news related to the Pope). Let us pray for the repose of the soul of our pointiff, our father the Pope Jean Paul II. Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Joie belle

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press Writer VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter century and became history's most-traveled pope, died Saturday night in his Vatican apartment. He was 84.  The announcement came from papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls and was distributed to journalists via e-mail. "The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. (2:37 p.m. EST) in his private apartment. All the procedures outlined in the apostolic Constitution `Universi Dominici Gregis' that was written by John Paul II on Feb. 22, 1996, have been put in motion." A Mass was scheduled for St. Peter's Square for Sunday morning. The pope died after suffering heart and kidney failure following two hospitalizations in as many months. Just hours earlier, the Vatican said he was in "very serious" condition but had responded to members of the papal household.

BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanon's pro-Syrian forces went on the counter-attack against the opposition with a demand that could delay elections due in May, as the country was shaken by another bomb attack.Prime minister-designate Omar Karameh, at a meeting late Friday with his pro-Syrian allies, decided to stay on, despite having failed over the past three weeks to form a new government to ease Lebanon's political crisis. Karameh, who said Tuesday he would resign, was tasked with forming a cabinet "to save the country", following the opposition's refusal to join a national unity government, said parliament speaker Nabih Berri. He said the new government would draw up an electoral law based on larger constituencies and proportional representation, changes favouring the pro-Syrian camp.