In his traditional Christmas Day message, Urbi Et Orbi, the pontiff also called for all religions to end the conflict in the Holy Land, describing it as a "senseless spiral of violence".

Without mentioning Iraq by name, the Pope said that with everyone's efforts the "ominous smouldering of a conflict" could be extinguished.

The Vatican has made clear its opposition to a preemptive war against Iraq, saying it would not qualify as a just war, the BBC's David Willey reports.