Pope Urges End to Syria Bloodshed in Christmas Message

Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday called for an "end to the bloodshed" in conflict-wracked Syria in his traditional Christmas message that touched on several other of the world's conflict zones and attacks on Christians.

"There is hope in the world... even at the most difficult times and in the most difficult situations," he said, praying for peace in Syria, whose people have been "deeply wounded and divided by a conflict which does not spare even the defenseless and reaps innocent victims."

Speaking from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in a message watched by millions around the world, he called "for an end to the bloodshed... and dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict."

A capacity crowd of 40,000 pilgrims filled the vast St Peter's Square to hear the 85-year-old pope, resplendent in red vestments, deliver the message.

In his "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and the World) message, the pope also pointed to hotspots across Africa, lamenting in particular the "savage acts of terrorism" that frequently target Christian churches in Nigeria.

Giving immediacy to his words, police said gunmen killed six Christians including the pastor leading a midnight Christmas Eve service in a village in volatile northern Nigeria, and set the church on fire.

In the wide-ranging speech, the pope also urged religious freedom in China, and again called for peace in the Middle East.

At the midnight mass in Bethlehem, the most senior Roman Catholic bishop in the Middle East issued a special call for efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Only justice and peace in the Holy Land can reestablish balance and stability in the region and in the world," Patriarch Fuad Twal told worshippers in the West Bank city, the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

"From this holy place, I invite politicians and men of good will to work with determination for peace and reconciliation that encompasses Palestine and Israel in the midst of all the sufferings in the Middle East," Twal said.

In South Africa, former leader Nelson Mandela shared Christmas greetings with visitors to his hospital bedside, including his wife Graca Machel, other family members and President Jacob Zuma.

"We found him in good spirits," Zuma said. "He was happy to have visitors on this special day and is looking much better."

The 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon was admitted on December 8 to a Pretoria hospital where has been treated for a recurrent lung infection and had surgery to remove gallstones.

Another prominent former world leader was confined to a hospital bed for Christmas this year: Margaret Thatcher of Britain.

The 87-year-old former prime minister was admitted to hospital on Thursday for a minor operation to remove a growth in her bladder.

Also in Britain, Prince William and his pregnant wife Catherine were notably absent when the royal family attended a Christmas church service.

William and the former Kate Middleton, who is recovering from severe morning sickness that landed her in hospital for four days earlier this month, broke with tradition to spend Christmas Day with her family rather than the royals.

The 86-year-old queen, who had missed church on Sunday due to a cold, appeared in good spirits as she arrived for the service at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

She was due to deliver her traditional Christmas speech at 1500 GMT.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, more than 200 Muslims threw rotten eggs at Christians wanting to hold a Christmas mass outside Jakarta, police said.

The some 100 Christian worshippers had gathered for the mass near the spot where they hoped to build a church but saw the project barred by district government and community members.

In a brief holiday security breach, a drunken Briton stumbled out on to the tarmac at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, stole a car and drove it on to a runway.

"He drove around for a few minutes, but at no point was there any danger to flight traffic. There aren't many flights on Christmas Eve and there were none at all at the time he took the car," a police spokesman said.

In the United States, the organization responsible for monitoring North American airspace helped children track Santa Claus's progress as he completed his whirlwind journey around the globe.

The Santa tracker set up by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a U.S.-Canada joint operation, said Father Christmas and his hardworking reindeer were resting at the North Pole, having delivered more than seven billion gifts during his annual journey.

Also overnight, the pope sent out two tweets, one asking his some two million "followers": "What are the family Christmas traditions that you still remember from your childhood?"

In the other, the German pontiff said that nativity scenes brought back fond memories from his childhood in Bavaria.