Holy Week fears at Vatican

, Vatican City, April 1 (UPI) -- As Pope John Paul II prepares to preside at all Holy Week celebrations, there are terror fears at the Vatican, Italian and Catholic publications report.

According to Adnkronos News Service, the CIA urged the pontiff to wear a bulletproof vest at his public appearances next week and on Easter Sunday. The pope has always refused to do this.

However, papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters, "There is absolutely no cause for alarm."

Still, "American and European security analysts agree that the Vatican could be a terrorist target," writes CWNews.com, a Catholic online service. They also agree that the danger of a terrorist attack will be particularly high on Easter Sunday.

The pope's opposition to the war in Iraq and against Israel's treatment of Palestinians may not matter to someone under the sway of "the uncontrollable madness of terrorism," said Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.