Pope expresses concern over Iraqi refugees

(Dec. 18, 2006) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday expressed concern about the plight of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees who have fled their homeland to Syria and called on aid organizations to step up efforts to help them. Speaking to thousands of pilgrims and tourists who gathered below his studio window in St. Peter's Square to recite the midday ‘Angelus’ prayer with him the Holy Father said a Syrian Catholic charity group was already helping them, but that he wanted to appeal to “the sensibilities of the private sector, of international organizations and governments” to make “further efforts to help meet their more urgent needs.” The Pontiff said he was praying to the Lord “so that these brothers and sisters may be comforted by God and by the new generosity of the hearts of so many.” The pope also expressed worry that people in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere where there are wars will not know the joy the Christmas brings. “The joy that the (Christmas) liturgy awakens in the hearts of Christians is not reserved only for them” but is “destined for all of humanity, in a special way the poorest, in this case, those most lacking in joy,” Pope Benedict said. “Let us think of our brothers and sisters who, especially in the Middle East, in some areas of Africa and in other parts of the world, are living through the drama of war. What joy can they experience?” the pope said.
The Pope’s thoughts also went to the numerous young people who have lost the sense of life and seek authentic joy in the exasperated race for self-affirmation and success, in false amusements, in consumerism, in moments of drunkenness, in the artificial paradise of drugs and of other forms of alienation."
At the end of the 'Angelus' thousands of children help up their statues of Baby Jesus to be blessed by the Pope. The Pope traditionally blesses the statues which children place in the cribs or nativity scenes they create at home, in schools and oratories. The Pope urged the children to remember his intentions when they pray before the statue of Baby Jesus in their cribs at home.