Pope Surveys World at Risk on Christmas

In his first Christmas message as pope, Benedict XVI called on people across the globe Sunday to open their hearts to Christ as a way to combat poverty, war and the sterility of a world obsessed with technological advance.

Clad in glowing, golden vestments and a pointed, gold miter, Benedict stood on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to offer a blessing to tens of thousands of rain-soaked pilgrims and tourists. It was the same velvet-draped spot on which he was presented to the world minutes after his election as pope in April.

After presiding over a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, Benedict delivered Sunday’s noontime Christmas Day salutation, the traditional Urbi et Orbi message, Latin for “to the city and to the world.”

Together, these are the most important events for the pope during this holiday. Benedict used the two appearances to carry on several customs enshrined by his predecessor, John Paul II, who died on April 2 after nearly 27 years as pope. But he also sounded the themes that have become the hallmark of his 8-month-old papacy, advocating a more activist Catholicism in what he sees as an increasingly secular world and a revival of core Christian values.

Addressing an enormous Christmas Day crowd, which filled St. Peter’s Square despite the cold and rain, Benedict urged Christian unity as a way to draw upon the “life-giving power of the child of Bethlehem” to create a “new world order” that can rectify ethical and economic injustices.

“A united humanity will be able to confront the many troubling problems of the present time,” the pope said, “from the menace of terrorism to the humiliating poverty in which millions of human beings live, from the proliferation of weapons to the pandemics and the environmental destruction which threatens the future of our planet.”

Benedict signaled an important role for faith in interpreting science, saying technology alone would not enable mankind to understand the world. People who put too much emphasis on technological progress “[end] up in spiritual barrenness and emptiness of heart,” he said.

“The modern age is often seen as an awakening of reason from its slumbers, humanity’s enlightenment after an age of darkness,” he said. “Yet without the light of Christ, the light of reason is not sufficient to enlighten humanity and the world.”

Under umbrellas, the crowds cheered wildly. A group of English-speaking youths screamed, “We love you, Pope, we love you!” repeatedly. For the holiday, St. Peter’s Square is dominated by a 90-foot Austrian fir Christmas tree and a gargantuan nativity scene.

As John Paul did before him, Benedict used the Urbi et Orbi message to survey the crises of the world. He singled out areas suffering humanitarian crises, such as parts of Central Africa, including the Darfur region of Sudan, the scene of “fratricidal conflicts.” He made a special appeal for an end to strife in Iraq, Lebanon and the larger Middle East, where “signs of hope, which are not lacking, need to be confirmed by actions inspired by fairness and wisdom.”

He urged the people of Latin America to “live in peace and harmony” and encouraged further dialogue on the Korean peninsula to settle “dangerous disputes.” Benedict concluded with Christmas greetings in at least 32 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Albanian and Maltese. The biggest applause was coaxed by the greetings in Spanish.

At the Christmas Eve Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Benedict highlighted the Roman Catholic Church’s adamant opposition to abortion, saying the “splendor” of God’s love shines on every child, “even on those still unborn.” He went on to exhort Catholics to serve as “active heralds” to bring peace and the word of God into the troubled regions of the world.

The pope’s next ceremonial duties include a midnight Mass on New Year’s Eve and another celebration on New Year’s Day, which the Vatican marks as World Peace Day. He will then preside over a Feast of the Epiphany Mass on Jan. 6.

Most important, however, is an upcoming encyclical, Benedict’s first. An encyclical is the most authoritative form of papal writing, and the document will be scrutinized for insight into Benedict’s thinking and plans for his papacy.