1.
SV EXTERIOR: St. Nicholas du Chardonneret, church, Paris.
0.05

2.
SV: priests walking in procession into church, among them Monsignor Ducaud-Bourget.
0.32

3.
SV: congregation in church.
0.34

4.
SV: Ducaud-Bourget speaking and congregation listening. (2 shots)
1.14

5.
SV PAN EXTERIOR: crowd outside church.
1.26

6.
SV: people leaving church and singing.
1.46

7.
GV: crowd outside church.
1.52



Initials RH/MF/AH/1831



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: INTRODUCTION: Roman Catholic traditionalists celebrated the Tridentine Mass in Latin at the church of St. Nicholas du Chardonneret in Paris on Sunday (6 March) -- one week after occupying the church as a demonstration of their desire for a religious establishment of their own. They have been celebrating Masses in halls, schools and gymnasiums since the Catholic hierarchy decreed that Mass should be said in the vernacular, following the 1962 to 1965 Vatican Council.

SYNOPSIS: In the 17th century church in the Latin Quarter of Paris services have ben taking place all week. On Sunday huge crowds of supporters of the Latin liturgy turned up for Mass -- a demonstration of their solidarity with the occupiers, who claim that freedom of practice in France extends to all religions -- except for Catholic traditionalists. Among the priests taking part on Sunday was 83-year-old Monsignor Ducaud-Bourget, who claims to have 10,000 followers needing a church of their own.

Another priest, Father Coache, who led the original occupation, spoke in his sermon on Sunday of reports that the occupiers might be expelled by force if they did not give up their protest. "In that case we shall occupy Notre Dame" he declared. In his sermon Monsignor Ducaud-Bourget made an appeal to the congregation to maintain their support.

He urged them to visit the church as often as possible and to keep the occupation alive until the traditionalists achieved their objectives. He also emphasised that the occupation was not politically motivated. "We are Catholics who want to practice our religion" he stated.

Earlier this week one of the priests attached to the church of St. Nicholas, Father Jean-Robert Armogathe, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital with a head wound after a brawl in the church. Later he claimed that the traditionalists had been infiltrated by neo-fascist extremist, who are in the process of manipulating the group. Father Armogathe and two others priests were praying in the vestry, when, they claim they were forcibly ejected by a number of youth.

But be Sunday the atmosphere had calmed down and politics and violence were apparently far from the minds of the worshippers.