Pope conducts mass for thousands of faithful in Nazareth (2nd Lead)

May 14, 2009, 8:22 GMT

Nazareth, Israel - Tens of thousands of Catholics gathered at Mount Precipice, outside Nazareth, Thursday morning, to attend the final, and largest, mass Pope Benedict XVI was to conduct during his five-day tour of Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The mass, the highlight of the pope's visit to the ancient town where Jesus Christ spent his boyhood, got underway at Mount Precipice, shortly after the pope arrived by helicopter in Nazareth, where he was also to meet local church officials as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

After the mass concluded, Benedict was slated to visit the Church of the Annunciation, built on the spot where tradition has it the Angel Gabriel told Mary she was to give birth to Jesus.

Smiling his trademark shy smile, Benedict raised his hand in benediction as the popemobile, flanked by security men in dark suits and followed by dozens of blue-uniformed policemen, slowly made its way to the podium at Mount Precipice.

Many of the crowd applauded as the popemobile passed, others joyously waved Vatican flags, or flags of other nations, including that of Israel.

The amphitheatre at Mount Precipice, constructed especially for the event, was ringed with heavy security. Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said 5,000 policemen were to secure the mass, and a total of 8,000 would be deployed in Nazareth.

The mass at the mount, he said, was 'the biggest and most significant event, in terms of size and scope, of the entire (papal) visit.'

Mount Precipice, which overlooks Nazareth, marks the spot where, according to the Gospel of Saint Luke (4, 29-30), an angry mob attempted to hurl Jesus to his death.

Benedict arrived in Israel Monday for a five-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian areas. During his visit, he has met Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders, toured sites holy to all three monotheistic religions, and visited a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem.

On Friday he is slated to meet with church leaders and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, before returning to Rome.