TRAVELING IN STYLE : Correspondents’ Choice : HOW DO YOU KNOW IT’S SPRING?

IN ROME

EASTER SUNDAY MASS AT ST. PETER’S BASILICA IN ROME, CELEBRATED OUTdoors when weather allows, is the quintessential rite of Roman spring--whoever the Pope, whatever the year.

Easter marks the start of the tourist season in Rome, so there are always tens of thousands of pilgrims present for the ritual. But legions of Romans come, too, jostling for a papal view in majestic St. Peter’s Square. Flowers and psalms, prayers and incense are supporting characters for the white-robed figure whose image, and whose blessing from his balcony--New Life, New Hope--are flashed instantly to the city and the world by television.

Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on Easter--but for Rome, for Italy, indeed for much of the Old World, the sight of the Pope at his Easter altar is a signal of their own seasonal rebirth after the rigors of winter. The spectacle is calculated to stir even the most wintry soul to the reflection: Could this be the start of something good?