Culture

Pope Gives 2008 Christmas Midnight Mass in Honour of Children

by Tina Kells | December 24, 2008 at 05:23 pm

744 views | 3 Recommendations | 4 comments

Midnight mass is a Catholic tradition and every year the Pope speaks out for a cause or group as part of the ceremony. Just days after denouncing the gay communities of the world as a threat akin to global warming, Pope Benedict XVI gave his Christmas mass in honour of the children of the world who are abused, ignored by family, forced into servitude, compelled to perform military service, or left living in poverty or homeless on the streets.

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Christmas Midnight Mass early Thursday by sending out an appeal for children who are abused, forced to live on the street or serve as soldiers.

In the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, Benedict marked the birth of Jesus with a call to the faithful to help children who are denied the love of their parents and those who are exploited across the world.

"The Child of Bethlehem summons us once again to do everything in our power to put an end to the suffering of these children," he said.

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Blue Crush

at 00:41 on December 25th, 2008

"Let us think also of the place named Bethlehem, of the land in which Jesus lived, and which he loved so deeply," he said. "Let us pray that peace will be established there, that hatred and violence will cease. Let us pray for mutual understanding, that hearts will be opened, so that borders can be opened."

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 00:54 on December 25th, 2008

This is the same church which sexually abused so many little girls and boys?

poor oligarch (not verified)

at 02:54 on December 25th, 2008

...the same one that doesn't respect womens' rights? peace & joy!

George Strickland (not verified)

at 12:13 on December 25th, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI did not attack the gay community in his message to the Vatican Curia. The pope recognizes that the protection and flourishing of human life can only take place in the relationship of man and woman. The Christian expectation is monogamous heterosexual marriage. This has been affirmed throughout the history of Christianity. Even if one rejects Christianity, monogamous marriage, in the view of anthropologist Lionel Tiger, is one of the enormous achievements in Western civilization. So, Benedict is saying nothing new or controversial--he is merely reaffirming normative Christian view of the purpose of sexuality--the promotion and flourishing of humankind. One is free to dispute this traditional view but Benedict's message hardly rises to the level of an attack on gays.The ferocious criticisms of Benedict and other Christian leaders borders on fanaticism.

George S