ROME (CWNews.com) - Italian newspapers slammed Rome's leaders on Monday after the city was gridlocked with traffic during the Christmas and New Year holidays as millions of pilgrims jammed the streets.

    Newspapers recounted stories of thousands of motorists who celebrated the new year while sitting in their cars, stuck in traffic around Rome. Residents in the heart of the city also complained that street closings kept them imprisoned in their homes.

    Much of the anger was directed squarely at Mayor Francesco Rutelli, who fired back with charges that the critics want the Jubilee celebration to fail. "For two years, there have been attempts to brand the preparations for the Jubilee as a catastrophe," Rutelli angrily told a news conference. "There have been no catastrophes."

    The Vatican also received a share of criticism for lack of preparation for the special Jubilee Day for Children in St. Peter's Square where Pope John Paul II met with 100,000 children. Some parents said there were no provisions to provide food or hot drinks since many restaurants were closed. Many of the families waited all day in the abnormally cold weather to meet the Pope, and newspapers reported that five children were hospitalized with mild cases of exposure.

          

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