Christians --- pope presides over Vatican Mass

In spite of the tension and violence that shook the Holy Land this coming year, Christians from worldwide flocked to Manger Square in Bethlehem on Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town where he was born.

Others traveled to Vatican City, where Pope Benedict XVI had lit a Christmas peace candle set on the windowsill of his private studio. Pilgrims, tourists and Romans gathered below in St. Peter's Square for your inauguration Monday evening of a Nativity scene and cheered if your flame was lit.

The pope marked Christmas Eve with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The service began at 10 p.m. civil time, or 4 p.m. ET. The midnight start time was changed with the Vatican years ago to allow pontiff rest before a Christmas Day speech to become delivered on the basilica's central balcony.

In the homily, Benedict cited the Gospel account of Mary and Joseph finding no room at an inn and dealing in a very stable which sheltered the baby Jesus. He urged individuals remember what they have to find time for of their busy, technology-driven lives.

"The great moral question individuals attitude toward the homeless, toward refugees and migrants represents a deeper dimension: Will we obviously have room for God when he seeks to go into under our roof? Do we have plenty of time and space for him?" the pope said.

"The faster we are able to move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the a shorter period we've. And God? The question of God never seems urgent," Benedict lamented.

The pope worried that "we are so 'full' of ourselves there's no room left for God." He added, "this means there is absolutely no room for some individuals either -- for children, for your poor, for that stranger."

The pontiff also prayed that Israelis and Palestinians reside in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strife-torn Syria together with Lebanon and Iraq.

In Bethlehem, the Palestinian hosts were hopeful following a recent vote and only statehood inside the Not, though the vote did little to get them closer to independence.

In their annual pre-Christmas homily, the very best Roman Catholic cleric within the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, said this year's festivities were doubly joyful.

"The way (to statehood) remains long, and may have to have a united effort," said Twal, a Palestinian citizen of Jordan, with the patriarchate's headquarters in Jerusalem's Old City.

He then tripped within a procession for that West Bank capital of scotland - Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace. Twal was required to go into the biblical town by using a massive metal gate inside barrier of towering concrete slabs Israel built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem after a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings over the last decade. The Israeli military, which controls the crossing, said hello significantly eased restrictions for that Christmas season.

Israel, backed because of the United states of america, opposed the statehood bid, saying rrt had been a Palestinian ploy to bypass negotiations. Talks stalled four in years past.

A huge selection of people greeted Twal in Manger Square, beyond your Church of Nativity. The mood was festive under sunny skies, with children dressed in holiday finery or in Santa costumes, and marching bands playing in the streets.

After nightfall, a packed Manger Square, resplendent with strings of lights, decorations as well as a 17-meter Christmas tree, took with a festival atmosphere.

A choral group in the Baptist Church in Jerusalem performed carols somewhere in the heart.} square, presenting sheets of lyrics and encouraging others to sing in addition to songs including "We Wish You A Merry Christmas."

Festivities led up to the Midnight Mass at St. Catherine's Church, near to the fourth-century Church of the heart.} Nativity, built over the grotto where tradition says Jesus was created.

Devout Christians said hello was obviously a moving experience being so near to the origins with their faith.

"It's actually a special feeling to get here, now you have an encounter with my soul and God," said Joanne Kurczewska, a professor at Warsaw University in Poland, who had previously been visiting Bethlehem for any second time at Christmas.

"We come here to celebrate Jesus. This can be a essential town. Wonderful landmarks originate from small events. The son of God was created with this small village. Develop all will track Jesus," he explained.

Audra Kasparian, 45, from Salt Lake City, Utah, called her visit to Bethlehem "a life event to cherish forever. It really is among those events that is great as a a part of."

Christmas is the high point of the year in Bethlehem, which, much like the remaining portion of the West Bank, is struggling to recuperate through the economic hard times to come the violent Palestinian uprising against Israel that broke out at the end of 2000.

Tourists and pilgrims who were scared away from the fighting have been returning in larger numbers. Last year's Christmas Eve celebration produced the greatest turnout in additional than a decade, with some 100,000 visitors, including foreign workers and Arab Christians from Israel.

The Israeli Tourism Ministry predicted a 25 % drop from that much cla this season, following last month's clash between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, which put a chill on tourist arrivals. Foreign tourists going to Bethlehem must traverse Israel or perhaps the Israel-controlled border crossing in the West Bank from Jordan.

Beyond your town's quaint Manger Square, Bethlehem can be a drab, sprawling town using a dwindling Christian base.

Overall, you'll find directly about 50,000 Christians under western culture Bank, less than 3 percent on the heart.} population, the consequence of lower birthrate and increased emigration. Bethlehem's Christians comprise simply a third on the heart.} town's residents, down from 75 percent several decades ago.

Elias Joha, a 44-year-old Christian who runs a souvenir store, said in spite of the U.N. recognition, this year's celebrations were sad for him. He explained the vast majority of his family has left, which if he the ability, he'd do identical.

"These celebrations are not even for Christians as there are no Christians. It truly is going from bad to worse from the sides ... we're not enjoying Christmas as before."

Upon the southeastern outskirts of Jerusalem, Bethlehem gets the highest unemployment in the western world Bank, but the tourist boom of Christmas offered a brief reprieve. Officials say all 34 hotels from the town are fully booked for that Christmas season, including 13 a built this holiday season.

Israel turned Bethlehem to Palestinian civil control a short time before Christmas in 1995, and after that, residents are actually celebrating the holiday in spite of their religion. Many Muslims took part in celebration Monday likewise.

Christians over the region marked the xmas. In Kabul, Afghanistan, soldiers and service members using the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) sang carols and lit candles on a service on Christmas eve with the U.S.-led coalition base.

In Iraq, Christians gathered for services with tight security, including at Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church, the scene of an brutal October 2010 attack that killed over 50 worshippers and wounded scores more.

Earlier this month, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, that is in charge of the Vatican's outreach to the Middle East's Catholic communities, traveled to Iraq and presided on the Mass to rededicate the church following renovations. In her homily, he remembered individuals who were killed and expressed hope that "the tears shed on this sacred place get to be the good seed of communion and witness and bear much fruit," based on a merchant account by Vatican Radio.

The exact number of Christians remaining in Iraq is not known, but it really has fallen sharply from as many as 1.4 million prior to the U.S.-led invasion nearly a decade ago to about 400,000 to 600,000, according community leaders cited because of the U.S. State Department.