Deadly stampede mars Papal visit to Angola

Pope Benedict XVI Saturday addressed over 30,000 Angolan youths to revive their faith in a nation where evangelicals are gaining ground, but the event was marred by a deadly stampede that killed two.

"We don't have any details about the circumstances of the drama or the identity of the victims," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told AFP.

"The Holy Father will speak about this tragedy during a Mass he is due to hold on Sunday," in Luanda, he added.

Tens of thousands of young people, including mothers carrying babies, packed into the Stadio dos Coqueiros, filling the stands and the field as music blared from the stage ahead of the pope's appearance.

But the stampede around noon 1100 GMT, when the gates of the stadium opened, killed two young people and injured 18, senior police official Paulo de Almeida told Portugal's Lusa news agency.

The two -- a male and a female whose ages were not clear -- died at the scene. Ten others were treated on the spot and eight taken to hospital, Lusa said, adding that a criminal investigation had been launched.

When the 81-year-old pope arrived in the stadium, looking tired but smiling, the crowd on the field surged toward his vehicle in a near stampede as he drove toward the stage.

More than half of Angola's population is under 18, and many bear physical scars of the decades of civil war that left the country one of the most heavily landmined nations on the planet.

Although Angola's economy has boomed since the end of civil war in 2002, two thirds of the population lives on less than two dollars a day -- struggles that the pope addressed directly as he sought to reaffirm faith among the youth.

"I see some of the many thousands of young Angolans who have been maimed or disabled as a result of the war and the landmines. I think of the countless tears that have been shed for the loss of your relatives and friends," he said.

"You may have your share of difficulties, but you are filled with great hope, great enthusiasm and a great desire to make a new beginning. My young friends, you hold within yourselves the power to shape the future," Benedict added.

His visit to Angola is a chance to revitalise the church in a country that is 55 percent Catholic, but where evangelical groups and home-grown sects are gaining popularity.

Earlier in the day at a private Mass, the pope condemned the practice of witchcraft, which has been linked to child abuse and even human sacrifice here.

"So many of them are living in fear of spirits, of malign and threatening powers. In their bewilderment they end up even condemning street children and the elderly as alleged sorcerers," Benedict said.

"Today it is up to you, brothers and sisters, following in the footsteps of those heroic and holy heralds of God, to offer the risen Christ to your fellow citizens," he said to the invitation-only crowd at the morning mass.

The church remains one of the few strong national voices outside of government in Angola, running a radio station in Luanda known for broadcasting dissenting views.

Local Church leaders hope the pope's visit will push Angola's government -- run by the formerly Marxist Movement for the Popular Liberation of Angola -- to allow Radio Ecclesia to broadcast nationwide.

Benedict has also sought to reinforce Catholic teachings on social issues, including condoms and abortion, but the Vatican on Saturday softened controversial remarks on abortion, saying the church did not oppose medical care for mothers that results in the unintentional death of the foetus.





Curry