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Pope hails fall of Berlin Wall 20 years ago

Rome — Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday said the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago shows that freedom cannot be "repressed and stifled" as he attended a youth anti-war concert in Rome.

"The fall of the Wall has shown that the fundamental freedoms that give meaning to human life cannot be repressed and stifled," the 82-year-old German pontiff said.

"The fall of the Berlin Wall is a powerful symbol of the end of totalitarian communist regimes of Eastern Europe," he said.

On November 9, Germany marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the country’s reunification.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited all European Union leaders to attend the ceremonies to mark the anniversary.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are among those expected in Berlin for the festivities, set to climax in a "freedom party" at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.

One world leader not likely to attend is US President Barack Obama, who will be in Asia for a summit. Former President Bill Clinton will likely represent the United States instead.

AFP/Expatica