Pope's Christmas message says hope mustn't die in Syria, Nigeria

1 of 6. Pope Benedict XVI (C) waves as he blessed the crowd as he makes his ''Urbi et Orbi'' (To the city and the world) address from a balcony in St. Peter's Square in Vatican December 25, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY | Tue Dec 25, 2012 12:29pm EST

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world on Tuesday to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians.

Marking the eighth Christmas season of his pontificate, the 85-year-old read his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square and to millions of others watching around the world.

Delivering Christmas greetings in 65 languages, Benedict used the Biblical analogy of the "good soil" to underscore his view that the hope represented by Christmas should never die, even in the most dire situations.

"This good earth exists, and today too, in 2012, from this earth truth has sprung up! Consequently, there is hope in the world, a hope in which we can trust, even at the most difficult times and in the most difficult situations," he said.

In his virtual tour of the some of the world's trouble spots, he reserved his toughest words for Syria, Nigeria and Mali.

"Yes, may peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict which does not spare even the defenseless and reaps innocent victims," he said.

"Once again I appeal for an end to the bloodshed, easier access for the relief of refugees and the displaced, and dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict."

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics also condemned conflicts in Mali and Nigeria, two countries where Islamist groups have waged violent campaigns.

"May the birth of Christ favor the return of peace in Mali and that of concord in Nigeria, where savage acts of terrorism continue to reap victims, particularly among Christians," he said.

CHURCH BOMBINGS

In Nigeria, the Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed hundreds in its campaign to impose sharia law in the north of the country, targeting a number of churches.

In Mali, a mix of Islamists with links to al Qaeda have occupied the country's north since April, destroying much of the region's religious heritage. They have also carried out amputations to help impose strict Islamic law on a population that has practiced a more moderate form of Islam for centuries.

Benedict also held out a Christmas olive branch to the new government in China, asking is members to "esteem the contributions of religions". China does not allow its Catholics to recognize the pope's authority, forcing them to be members of a parallel state-backed Church.

Late on Monday night, Benedict presided over a Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica, where he urged people to find room for God in their fast-paced lives filled with the latest technological gadgets.

"Do we have time and space for him? Do we not actually turn away God himself? We begin to do so when we have no time for him," he said.

"The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent. Our time is already completely full," he said.

He said societies had reached the point where many people's thinking processes did not leave any room even for the existence of God.

"There is no room for him. Not even in our feelings and desires is there any room for him. We want ourselves. We want what we can seize hold of, we want happiness that is within our reach, we want our plans and purposes to succeed. We are so 'full' of ourselves that there is no room left for God."

(Editing by Andrew Osborn)

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Diamonds are a German's best friend this Christmas

A couple looks into a shop window of a jeweller in the city centre of Frankfurt December 18, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Lisi Niesner

By Victoria Bryan

FRANKFURT | Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:30am EST

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - With record low interest rates providing little incentive to open a bank account, canny Germans are choosing a more glamorous place to put their money this Christmas - jewelry.

Demand for diamond rings and gold watches is also being fuelled by an uncertain economic outlook, which is making shoppers in Europe's largest economy seek out gifts more likely to retain - and possibly increase - their value.

The BVJ German association of jewelers and watch retailers is forecasting sales of 5 billion euros ($6.6 billion) this year, matching last year's record despite the euro zone crisis, and with over a third of that to come over the Christmas season.

"If the trading we have seen in the last few days keeps up we may even improve slightly on last year," BVJ managing director Joachim Duenkelmann told Reuters.

The BVJ says Germans are looking for security against the backdrop of the euro zone debt crisis, political uncertainty in the Middle East and continuing low interest rates.

"People are investing in two things these days - diamonds and property," said one shopper admiring diamond rings and a single 2.1 carat diamond costing 63,000 euros in a window on Frankfurt's exclusive Goethestrasse shopping street.

Interest rates in the euro zone are at an all-time low of 0.75 percent, and many economists expect the European Central Bank to cut them further in early 2013 to try to revive the bloc's ailing economy.

While European neighbors are tightening their belts, low unemployment and rising wages are also encouraging Germans, traditionally a nation of savers, to spend their cash.

Data from the Bundesbank shows the proportion of disposable income that Germans put into savings stood at 8.8 percent in the third quarter of this year, down sharply from 13.7 percent in the first quarter, and compared with 10.4 percent in 2011.

"Consumers are therefore tending to put their finances into purchases that will keep their value, instead of leaving them in banks," market research group GfK said.

The BVJ says gold, platinum and diamonds are seen as especially safe investments, and that while market prices of these metals have soared, that has not necessarily translated into sharply higher prices for jewelry.

Gold prices are up around 7 percent this year and set for a 12th consecutive annual rise, driven by low interest rates, concerns over the euro zone and diversification into bullion by central banks.

HSBC on Tuesday raised its forecast for platinum prices in 2013 and 2014.

ENDURING VALUE

A study by Ernst & Young shows that 26 percent of shoppers in Germany were planning to buy jewelry as gifts this year, up from 23 percent last year.

"No matter what happens to the piece of jewelry or to the economy, the material value of precious metals and stones will remain," the BVJ's Duenkelmann said.

German retailer Douglas may be battling stiff competition from online retailers like Amazon at its book stores, but says its Christ chain of 209 jewelry stores is a bright spot.

"Sales of diamond jewelry are currently on the up - whether as an investment or simply as a piece of beautiful jewelry," Chief Executive Henning Kreke told Reuters.

In the first nine months of its 2011/2012 business year, Douglas' jewelry arm saw a 10 percent rise in sales to 291 million euros, with core profit up 7.6 percent to 34 million.

Staff at high-end jewelers in Frankfurt reported good demand for classic rings, necklaces and watches, especially those with diamonds.

"People are looking for items that keep their value. We're definitely doing more business than last year," said a sales assistant at one jewelers who declined to be named because of company policy.

($1 = 0.7568 euros)

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Mark Potter)

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