Pope Laments Bloodshed Across Globe

VATICAN CITY —  Pope John Paul II led Roman Catholics into Christmas today, calling on a world caught up in conflict to heed the message of peace from Jesus’ birth.

“Too much blood is still being shed on Earth,” the ailing 83-year-old pontiff said at a packed midnight Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.

The Mass at Christendom’s largest church marked the Polish pope’s 26th Christmas as leader of the world’s 1 billion Catholics and was broadcast live to nearly 50 countries.

“Too much violence and too many conflicts trouble the peaceful coexistence of nations,” he said, speaking slowly in Italian and reading a homily in a relatively clear voice.

The pope opposed the war in Iraq and has expressed deep frustration in the last year over endless violence in the Middle East and sorrow over acts of terrorism around the world.

During the ceremony, a woman read a prayer in Arabic urging Christians, Jews and Muslims to put aside “sentiments and acts of hate, vendetta and oppression.”

As the voices of the Sistine Chapel choir filled the basilica, the pope, resplendent in gold and white vestments, was wheeled up the center aisle to applause.

The pope, who has leg and hip ailments that limit his ability to walk or stand, celebrated the Mass sitting on a special chair that rises to allow him to reach the altar without standing.

Aides said he insisted on celebrating Mass himself on the second most holy day of the Christian liturgical calendar.

In recent months the pope, who marked his 25th anniversary in October, has attended ceremonies but delegated a senior cardinal to celebrate services to conserve his strength.

The pope, who has Parkinson’s disease, which makes it difficult for him to talk, also seemed alert, smiling as he blessed children from around the world who brought him symbolic gifts.

“You come to bring us peace. You are our peace,” the pope said in his homily recalling the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

“May the radiance of your birth light up the night of the world. May the power of your message of love thwart the proud snare of the evil one. May the gift of your life make us understand ever more clearly the worth of the life of each human being.”