http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/world/europe/26pope.html?scp=7&sq=catholic&st=cse December 26, 2008 Pope’s Christmas Greeting Focuses on Pursuit of Peace By RACHEL DONADIO ROME — Pope Benedict XVI called for peace in the Middle East, Darfur and Zimbabwe and stability in other war-torn lands in a particularly politically pointed Christmas greeting to the city and the world. Delivering his annual “Urbi et Orbi” message from the balcony of St. Peter’ s Basilica, the pope also spoke to the fears of people suffering from the financial crisis. “Wherever 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.” Echoing a theme he struck Christmas Eve in his midnight Mass homily, the pope called for peace in “the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians.” He added: “May it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq and the whole Middle East.” Talks are under way for the pope to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories as early as this spring, although the Vatican has not officially announced the trip. The Vatican, which opposed the war in Iraq, has been particularly outspoken in its concern about the state of Christians in Arab lands, who increasingly face persecution and emigration. The pope blessed the efforts of “all those who, rather than resigning themselves to the twisted logic of conflict and violence, prefer instead the path of dialogue and negotiation as the means of resolving tensions within each country and finding just and lasting solutions to the conflicts troubling the region.” Benedict also turned his attention to Africa, where he is expected to make his first visit in March, traveling to Angola and Cameroon. “This light, which brings transformation and renewal, is besought by the people of Zimbabwe, in Africa, trapped for all too long in a political and social crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening,” he said. The pope also prayed for “the men and women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the war-torn region of Kivu; Darfur, in Sudan; and Somalia, whose interminable sufferings are the tragic consequence of the lack of stability and peace.” Pope Benedict blessed the faithful in 64 languages, adding Icelandic this year. --

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