教皇本笃16世在举行圣诞夜弥撒时为和平、特别是中东地区的和平祈祷，与此同时，全世界的基督徒准备庆祝耶稣在2000多年前诞生。
星期一晚间，教皇在挤满信众的圣彼得大教堂呼吁结束叙利亚、黎巴嫩、伊拉克以及中东其他地区的流血冲突。他还祈祷以色列和巴勒斯坦能够和平相处。
来自世界各地的成千上万游客聚集在约旦河西岸的伯利恒，欢度圣诞。基督徒相信他们的救世主耶稣基督诞生在这里。
今年的圣诞节对东道主巴勒斯坦来说格外喜庆，因为联合国上个月承认巴勒斯坦为一个独立国家。
在每年一度的圣诞前布道中，耶路撒冷教区 最高的罗马天主教大主教祝贺巴勒斯坦人取得的成就，并敦促他们同以色列一道结束该地区似乎永无休止的冲突。
虽然天气很冷，庆祝活动一直持续到深夜。一些游客说，此情此景令人感动。
Pope Benedict prayed for peace, especially in the Middle East, in his Christmas Eve mass, as Christians around the world prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago.
Addressing the faithful in a packed St. Peter's Basilica late Monday, the pontiff called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and their neighbors. He also prayed that the Israelis and Palestinians may be able to live together in peace.
Thousands of tourists from all over the world gathered in the West Bank town of Bethlehem to celebrate the holiday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was born.
This year's holiday was particularly joyous for their Palestinian hosts, who just last month received United Nations recognition for an independent state of Palestine.
In his annual pre-Christmas homily, the top Roman Catholic bishop in the area, Fouad Twal, celebrated that achievement for the Palestinians and urged them to work with the Israelis to end the region's seemingly endless conflict.
Despite cold weather, the festivities continued late into the evening, with some tourists calling it a moving experience.
