Pope supports China's Catholics

Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI urged faithful Catholics in China have courage in the face of Communist restrictions of freedom of religion and conscience, a highlight of the tension between Beijing and the Vatican Christmas message.

In Bethlehem stream gathered in the Church of the Nativity for prayers to celebrate the greatest number of the pilgrims in a decade to Christmas, with tens of thousands. Violence in Nigeria and the Philippines and fear in Iraq, however marred Christmas day festivities.

Christians around the world ready to celebrate Christmas Friday.

AFP/Getty Images thousands of tourists and pilgrims clergy converged on Bethlehem Friday as the city of Jesus birth prepared to celebrate Christmas.

Pope Benedict XVI used its traditional holiday speech from the Central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to tourists and pilgrims on the rain-soaked square delivered to people in the world trouble spots to take to promote hope of "comforting message" of Christmas. These spots range country where Jesus grew - and even China from dispute broken Afghanistan the volatile Korean peninsula to the Holy.

In recent weeks, tensions have new disregard flared up between the Vatican and Beijing about the Chinese Government of the Pope's authority name bishops and its call prelates loyal visit to Rome, a meeting China's State-backed Church against their will to promote.

AFP/Getty Images Pope Benedict XVI delivers "urbi et orbi" Journal of the city and the blessing of the world-from the Central balcony of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican on Saturday.

"The birth of the Savior strengths of the spirit of faith, patience and courage of the faithful of the Church in mainland China that imposed on their freedom of religion and conscience not heart by the constraints but can lose conservation in fidelity to Christ and his Church, can the flame of hope alive keep" the Pope prayed loudly.

The Pope expressed also hope that Christmas respect for human rights in Afghanistan and Pakistan and "advance reconciliation on the Korean peninsula." could inspire

The Pope has many of them to escape their country are too escaped persecution and violence, including an attack on a monastery Basilica during the fair repeatedly talked about the plight of Christians in the Iraq he prayed that Christmas would "ease the pain and comfort in the midst of their studies to the bringing of the beloved Christian communities in the Iraq and the Middle East."

"" The Christmas light can shine forth new in the land where Jesus was born, and inspired to aim for Israelis and Palestinians, a just and peaceful coexistence, the Pope said in his traditional "urbi et orbi" address - Latin for "in the city and in the world."

In Bethlehem, it was the merriest Christmas in years.

Poured over 100,000 pilgrims in Bethlehem, said since Christmas, compared to about 50,000 last year, Israeli military call, the highest number of holiday visitors in a decade. She spoke on condition of anonymity, because you are not authorized, to speak with the media.

In contrast, Christians were a gloomy Christmas in Baghdad in the face of repeated violence of militant intent on driving their beleaguered community from the Iraq marking. Archbishop Matti Shaba Matouka said he hoped, the country would flee Iraqi Christians.

Hundreds gathered at the a Baghdad's Church, where Muslim extremists took in October more than 120 people hostage in a stalemate, which ended with 68 dead. Church walls were pockmarked with bullet, plastic sheeting hung instead of the stained glass Windows and patches of dried meat and blood spotted even the ceiling.

After the siege North Iraq fled around 1,000 Christian families to the relative safety, according to UN estimates.

"No matter how hard the storms will beats love save us," said Bishop Matouka collected believers.

View the original article here