Pope keeps up Vatican's campaign against war

The Pope today invoking the peace of Christmas in a world made fearful by terrorism and urged joint efforts to avoid war in the Middle East, likening the situation in Iraq to the “ominous smouldering” of conflict.

On a drizzly, grey morning, thousands of tourists and pilgrims streamed to St Peter’s Square to hear Pope John Paul II deliver his annual “Urbi et Orbi” Christmas Day message – the phrase is Latin for “to the city and to the world” - at noon.

They cheered and clapped in delight when the Pope, wearing gold-coloured robes, was driven in a white, open-topped vehicle through the square, which was made festive with a life-sized nativity scene and a towering Christmas tree.

He reflected on the risk peace faces on the day celebrated as Christ’s birthday in Bethlehem.

“From the cave of Bethlehem there rises today an urgent appeal to the world not to yield to mistrust, suspicion and discouragement, even though the tragic reality of terrorism feeds uncertainties and fears,” said the Pope, who looked frail as he sat in a chair under a canopy on the central steps in the square outside the basilica.

He called on believers of all religions as well as on all people of good will to build peace.

Without naming any countries, he singled out two places in urgent need of peace-builders: in the Holy Land, “to put an end once and for all to the senseless spiral of blind violence, and in the Middle East, to extinguish the ominous smouldering of a conflict which, with the joint efforts of all, can be avoided”.

Although he did not name Iraq, his remarks echoed comments in recent days about Iraq by top Vatican officials, who reiterated Church teaching that “preventative” war is not considered a justifiable cause to take up arms.

In apparent reference to the turmoil that over recent months and weeks have rocked Argentina and Venezuela, John Paul said that in Latin America, as well as in Asia, political, economic and social crises were disturbing the “serenity of many families and nations”.

He declared: “May humanity accept the Christmas message of peace!”

Africa’s famines and “tragic internal conflicts,” the Pope said, were also worrisome.

On that continent, “here and there signs of hope are present”, he said, although he did not elaborate.

Renovation work on the basilica’s central balcony forced the Pope to break with tradition and deliver his Christmas message from the square instead of from the balcony.

Bowing to illness, John Paul, now 82 and very frail, gave up another tradition a few years ago. He no longer says midmorning Mass in the basilica before delivering the message.

Since he leads Christmas Eve Mass at a midnight service in the basilica, his doctors and aides decided that celebrating another Mass was too taxing on the pontiff’s stamina and that he needed more time to rest.