MICHIGAN MAYOR OFFICIATES AT MASS GAY WEDDING

Michigan mayor officiatesat mass gay wedding
FERNDALE, Mich. -- The mayor of this Detroit suburb officiated at the mass wedding of nearly a dozen gay couples outside city hall Saturday in a symbolic demonstration of support for legalizing same-sex marriage in Michigan.
Although the ceremony carried no legal weight, the 11 couples who exchanged vows and rings left feeling married.
"I can't stop quivering," said Melvin Rodgers Berta, 41, clutching the ringed hand of his partner of three years, Leroy Berta, 46.
"It's just like the day we met," Leroy Berta said.
A handful of silent protesters lined the sidewalk in front of city hall, where the couples and Mayor Robert Porter gathered under a blue and pink banner that said: "To love, honor and be recognized."
"My belief is in the rights of people," Porter said after the ceremony. "I believe that is my responsibility as a servant of government."
Sub named for Carter
GROTON, Conn. -- Former President Jimmy Carter was filled with emotion Saturday as the most advanced nuclear submarine in the U.S. Navy was named after him at a Connecticut shipyard.
"This is a very wonderful day for me, to see my wife break the champagne on undoubtedly the finest and most formidable ship in the world," said Carter, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the only submariner to be elected president.
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, blessed the Seawolf-class nuclear submarine and its crew, then hesitated for a moment before cracking the bottle of champagne against the sail of the USS Jimmy Carter.
Amid much fanfare and cheers, a crowd of 4,500 Navy personnel, submarine workers and their families gathered at the Electric Boat shipyard for Saturday's christening ceremony. The Carters' daughter, Amy, also attended the ceremony.
Pope visits Switzerland
BERN, Switzerland -- A frail Pope John Paul II made his first foreign trip in nine months Saturday by visiting Switzerland, calling it his "duty" to keep traveling. He told young people he had no intention of giving up the papacy.
The pontiff spoke to a rally of 13,000 Swiss Roman Catholic youths, his hands trembling but his voice clear. He had difficulty speaking at times, but the crowd encouraged him by cheering.
"It's wonderful to be able to offer oneself until the end for the cause of the Kingdom of God," he told the rally, describing that as his testimony after nearly 60 years as a priest.
The 84-year-old John Paul has Parkinson's disease and crippling hip and knee ailments, but he has repeatedly brushed aside suggestions that he step down.
Police officer killed
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- A city police officer died Saturday, hours after he was struck by a shotgun blast as he sat in his car, authorities said.
Police had identified a suspect but didn't know why Officer Mark Sawyers was shot, police Chief Barnett Jones said at a news conference in this Detroit suburb. No one had been arrested by midday Saturday.
"It was a very bold, calculated and cold murder," said Capt. David Vinson.
Sawyers, 30, had just finished investigating a traffic accident Friday evening and had parked at a shopping center to complete his paperwork when a man fired a shotgun at him from another vehicle, Lt. Michael Reese said.
Police said they didn't think the gunman had any connection to Sawyers before the shooting. They weren't sure whether a second person was involved.
Associated Press