On Christmas, pope says suffering shows world needs Jesus' message

Published: 2004-12-28

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a Christmas plea for peace, Pope John Paul II said human suffering in Iraq, Sudan and the Holy Land demonstrates that the whole world needs the reconciling message of Jesus. The pope made his appeal in an annual Christmas blessing which he delivered "urbi et orbi" -- Latin for "to the city and to the world." It was televised to more than 70 countries, along with the pope's Christmas greetings in 62 languages. In a postscript the next day, the pope prayed for the more than 40,000 people killed in 11 countries when a massive earthquake spawned a series of tidal waves that inundated coastal areas from Sri Lanka to Indonesia. After listening to Christmas carols on Christmas Eve, the pope celebrated midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Although his voice was sometimes indistinct, the 84-year-old pontiff looked alert and pronounced the full text of his short sermon.

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