Pope dedicates Christmas thoughts to world's children

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II turned his thoughts at Christmas to children -- Palestinian, Israeli, American, Afghan and African -- declaring that humanity's hope depends on helping them.

In his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" message (Latin for "to the city and to the world"), the pope said: "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."

With only a few hours rest after celebrating midnight Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, the 81-year-old pontiff appeared quite tired Tuesday when he spoke from the basilica's central balconey.

He sat while reading his message and had to be helped to his feet. The words of his blessing sometimes were almost unintelligible, and after he finished, he slumped quickly back into the chair.

In deference to his age and his frailness, John Paul several years ago stopped celebrating Christmas Day Mass in the basilica.

Too many suffer

"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," John Paul said, his voice trembling. "Let us save the children, in order to save the hope of humanity."

In the baby Jesus, the pope said, there is "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," in Rwanda and Burundi, African nations bloodied by ethnic fighting.

John Paul made no direct reference to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks or to the U.S. bombings in Afghanistan. But he said the new millennium began with much hope "but is now threatened by dark clouds of violence and war."

The pope made a prayerful appeal that "God's holy name never be used as a justification for hatred! Let it never be used as an excuse for intolerance and violence."