In a world worried by possible war in Iraq, Middle East violence and North Korean nuclear arms, Pope John Paul said yestersday Jesus' message was one of peace and hope in times of conflict and suffering.
Leading the world's Roman Catholics into Christmas, the Pope, looking tired but resplendent in gold and white vestments, told a midnight mass broadcast live to tens of millions of people: "Jesus is born for a humanity searching for freedom and peace."
The message of hope was echoed by Christians at church services around the world, even as the US stepped up preparations for war in Iraq and worshippers in Asia were nervous over possible fresh acts of terror by Islamic militants.
Christians in Muslim countries in Asia flocked to churches for services that have so far passed off peacefully despite concerns over bomb attacks. Police have considerably tightened security in the run-up to Christmas.
In Latin America, several thousand people opposed to Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez prayed for peace during an open-air mass in Caracas as a strike kept a stranglehold on the nation's vital oil industry.
In a dreary, rainy Bethlehem, the Vatican's senior representative in the Holy Land issued an appeal in a midnight mass for freedom for Palestinians from Israeli occupation.
At the Vatican, the Pope's voice seemed a bit hoarse during the midnight mass ceremony attended by more than 10,000 people in St Peter's Basilica
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