VATICAN CITY — Offering his annual Christmas Day message on the state of the world, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday prayed for peace in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa and offered prayers for flood victims in Southeast Asia.
“May the Lord come to the aid of our world torn by so many conflicts which even today stain the earth with blood,” Benedict said, addressing crowds of the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in his annual “Urbi et Orbi” message, Latin for “to the city and the world.”
The 84-year-old pontiff has appeared increasingly frail in recent months, and on Sunday his voice occasionally wavered and sounded weak, interrupted at times by a dry cough, as he delivered his message, and greetings to the faithful in 65 languages.
Dressed in a red velvet robe with gold trim and a white ermine collar, the pope called for “the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians” in the land where Jesus was born and prayed for “an end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed.”
Benedict also called for “full reconciliation and stability in Iraq and Afghanistan” and prayed for “renewed vigor to all elements of society in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.” He offered prayers for flood victims in Thailand and the Philippines, and also prayed for the “prospects of dialogue and cooperation” in Myanmar.
Elsewhere, Christmas was celebrated with the typical joy of the season: In Cuba, Catholics had plenty to cheer as they prepared for Benedict’s March arrival, the first visit by a pontiff to the Communist-run island since John Paul II’s historic tour nearly 14 years ago.
“We have faith in God that we will be allowed to have this treat,” said Rogelio Montes de Oca, 72, as he stood outside the Cathedral in Old Havana. “Not every country will have the chance to see him physically and receive his blessing.”
And in the Holy Land, pilgrims and locals alike flocked to Jesus’ traditional birthplace in numbers not seen since before the Palestinian uprising over a decade ago, despite lashing rains and wind.
“We wanted to be part of the action,” said Don Moore, 41, a psychology professor from Berkeley, Calif., who came to Bethlehem with his family. “This is the place, this is where it all started. It doesn’t get any more special than that.”
The holy town of Bethlehem is no stranger to violence. Like the rest of the West Bank, it fell on hard times after the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation broke out in late 2000.
But as the violence has subsided, tourists have returned in large numbers. On Saturday, turnout for Christmas Eve festivities in Bethlehem was at its highest since the uprising began driving tourists away. An estimated 100,000 visitors streamed into Manger Square on Christmas Eve, up from 70,000 the previous year, according to the Israeli military’s count.
In the United Kingdom, the leader of the world’s Anglicans, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the summer riots in Britain and the financial crisis had abused trust in British society.
In his Christmas Day sermon, Rowan Williams appealed to those congregated at Canterbury Cathedral to learn lessons about “mutual obligation” from the events of the past year. He said Sunday that “the most pressing question” facing Britain is “who and where we are as a society.”
“Bonds have been broken, trust abused and lost,” he said.
Britain’s royal family, meanwhile, celebrated Christmas with one notable absence.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip remained hospitalized after having a coronary stent put in after doctors determined the heart pains that sent him to the hospital on Friday were caused by a blocked artery.
Elizabeth’s annual Christmas message dealt with the theme of family. The message was recorded Dec. 9, before Philip went into the hospital.
Wearing a festive red dress, the Queen said that the importance of family was driven home by the marriages of two of her grandchildren this year. Elizabeth spoke of the strength family can provide during times of hardship and how friendships are often formed in difficult times.
The New York Times contributed to this report.
