Pope urges peace in Middle East

Pope Benedict XVI today urged a solution to conflicts across the world, especially in the Middle East and Africa.

In a Christmas Day address that included an appeal for the poor, the exploited, and all those who suffer, he said: “With deep apprehension I think, on this festive day, of the Middle East, marked by so many grave crises and conflicts, and I express my hope that the way will be opened to a just and lasting peace.”