"URBI ET ORBI": CHRIST IS OUR PEACE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 25, 2001 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope appeared at the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in order to deliver the traditional Christmas message and to impart the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.

Some extracts of the message are given below:

"'Christus est pax nostra', 'Christ is our peace; he has made the two into one people.' At the dawn of the new millennium, which began with so much hope but is now threatened by dark clouds of violence and war, the words of the Apostle Paul which we listen to this Christmas are a powerful ray of light, a cry of trust and optimism. The Divine Child born in Bethlehem brings in His little hands as a gift the key to peace for mankind. He is the Prince of Peace!"

"Yes, we can repeat with certainty: Today, in the Incarnate Word, peace is born! Peace to be implored, for God alone is its source and guarantee. Peace to be forged in a world in which peoples and nations, burdened with so many and such varied difficulties, hope for a new humanity united not just by economic interests but by the unceasing effort to bring about a society that is more just and supportive."

"In (the newborn Redeemer) we can recognize the face of every little child who is born, of whatever race or nation: the little Palestinian and the little Israeli; the little American and the little Afghan; the child of the Hutu and the child of the Tutsi... whoever the child is, to Christ each one is special. Today my thoughts go to all the children of the world: so many, too many, are the children condemned from birth to suffer through no fault of their own the effects of cruel conflicts. Let us save the children, in order to save the hope of humanity! This is what we are urgently called to do by that Child born in Bethlehem, the God who became man, to give us back the right to hope.

"Let us beg from Christ the gift of peace for all who are suffering as a result of conflicts old and new. Day after day, I bear in my heart the tragic problems of the Holy Land; every day I think with anxiety of all those who are dying of cold and hunger; every day there reaches me the desperate cry of those who, in so many parts of the world, call for a fairer distribution of resources and for gainful employment for all. Let no-one lose hope in the power of God's love! May Christ be the light and support of those who believe and work - sometimes in the face of opposition - for encounter, dialogue and cooperation between cultures and religions. May Christ guide in peace the steps of those who tirelessly devote themselves to the progress of science and technology. May these great gifts of God never be used contrary to the respect and promotion of human dignity! May God's holy name never be used as a justification for hatred! Let it never be used as an excuse for intolerance and violence! May the gentle face of the Child of Bethlehem remind everyone that we all have one Father."

Following the message, the Pope extended Christmas greetings in 60 languages.

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