VATICAN CITY, April 21 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict lamented the widespread abandonment of religion in Western countries in a Holy Thursday homily, saying the heartlands of Christianity were turning away from their faith.
The 84-year-old German-born pontiff said it sometimes seemed as if the West had become bored by its own history and culture.
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Approaching the sixth Easter of his pontificate, the pope said the beatification of his Polish predecessor, John Paul II, on May 1 would be a chance to remember a man with great faith.