The World - News from Dec. 22, 1986

Pope John Paul II, addressing thousands of Rome’s youngsters on the last Sunday before Christmas, decried abortion and led prayers for less fortunate children all over the world. He urged the youngsters to “think today about all the world’s children, above all those that suffer in various ways, abandoned children, those that suffer from hunger. . .” Most of the several thousand children carried tiny statues of the infant Jesus, and their presence in St. Peter’s Square marked the revival of an old city custom-blessing by the pontiff of the tiny statues that will be placed in family nativity scenes on Christmas Day.