Pope urges solidarity in time of global crises

Pontiff delivers a proclamation of hope for all

In his Christmas message yesterday to tens of thousands gathered at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI declared that ''the heart of the Christian message is meant for all.'' (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images))

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged a world confronting a financial crisis, conflict, and increasing poverty not to lose hope at Christmas and to join in "authentic solidarity" to prevent global ruin.

His message of salvation amid growing concern about the economic meltdown facing rich and poor nations alike was echoed across the continent in London, where Britain's Queen Elizabeth II called for courage in response to the rough times.

Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists, and Romans in the square below, the pope called his Christmas message known as "Urbi et Orbi" - Latin for "to the City and to the World" - a proclamation of hope. And he stressed that it was meant for all men and women.

As the global economy continues to spiral downward, Benedict said, "an increasingly uncertain future is regarded with apprehension, even in affluent nations."

"In each of these places, may the light of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of authentic solidarity," he said. "If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart."

Wearing a crimson mantle against a damp chill, Benedict expressed hope that dialogue and negotiation would prevail to find "just and lasting solutions" to conflicts in the Holy Land and elsewhere in the Middle East.

He decried suffering in Africa and worldwide terrorism while calling for an end to internecine conflict dividing ethnic and social groups.

The pope singled out the plight of those in war-torn eastern Congo; in Sudan's Darfur region; in Somalia, where he said interminable suffering is the tragic consequence of the lack of stability and peace; and in Zimbabwe, where people have been trapped in a political and social crisis that keeps worsening.

Benedict condemned the "twisted logic of conflict and violence" in the Middle East, which he is likely to visit next year. He lamented that "the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians."

"May the divine light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land," he said. "May it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq, and the whole Middle East."

Following tradition, the pope recited holiday greetings in 64 languages, including Latin, the Catholic Church's official tongue.

In Bethlehem crowds of tourists joined local Palestinian Christians in marking Christmas in Jesus' birthplace. Merchants and innkeepers reported good business for the first time in years, with tensions between Israelis and West Bank Palestinians appearing to ease.

At the Church of the Nativity Brad Shannon, 28, a mechanic from Atlanta, said he saved money all year to make the trip to Bethlehem with three friends.

"I came here to see the oldest church that is still in use," he said. "It's not every Christmas that you're surrounded with people from all over the world."

Both the outgoing and incoming leaders of the United States were spending Christmas with family.

President Bush and relatives - including his father, former president George H. W. Bush - were celebrating the holiday at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. President-elect Barack Obama and his family were vacationing in a beachfront rental home in his native Hawaii.

Both leaders remembered in their holiday messages members of the US military serving away from home.

In the splendor of Buckingham Palace's Music Room, Queen Elizabeth acknowledged to her subjects that the economic crisis had given rise to feelings of insecurity and cast a pall over holiday celebrations.

"People are touched by events which have their roots far across the world," she said. "Whether it is the global economy or violence in a distant land, the effects can be keenly felt at home."

But the queen called for steadfastness.

"When life seems hard the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat," she said. "Instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future."