Stability in Africa part of pope's plea

VATICAN CITY, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI said in his Christmas Day message Thursday he hopes for stability in Africa and peace in the Middle East.

Detailing the precarious situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe, the pope said during his Vatican speech solidarity is vital for the world's population, the BBC reported.

"If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart," Benedict said from St. Peter's Basilica.

The religious leader also called for peace in the Middle East, where he admitted seeing signs of potential problems between Israel and the Palestinian population.

"May the divine light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians," the pope, speaking in Italian, said.

The 81-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church also offered Christmas greetings in 64 languages as part of his annual "To the City and the World" holiday speech, the BBC said.