Benedict XVI to Chinese Catholics: Have courage!

In his "Urbi et Orbi" message today, Pope Benedict XVI urged Chinese Catholics loyal to Rome -- the "underground church" of which I've written before -- to have courage in the face of Communist attempts to limit freedom of conscience and religion.

The Holy Father used his traditional holiday speech, delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to tourists and pilgrims in the rain-soaked square, to encourage people living in the troubled areas around the world to take hope from the comforting message of Christmas. The trouble spots he referred to range from war-torn Afghanistan to the volatile Korean peninsula to the Holy Land — and also to China.

In recent weeks, tensions have flared anew between the Vatican and Beijing over the Chinese government's defiance of the Pope's authority to name bishops and its insistence that prelates loyal to Rome attend, against their will, a gathering to promote Communist China's schismatic and heretical "Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association".

This post has been adapted from the Associate Press report. To watch the AP video clips of the Holy Father celebrating Midnight Mass, click here.

The AP clip from the Pope's Christmas message is here. Note that the Holy Father is speaking in Italian, since he is addressing the people of Rome in his capacity as Bishop of Rome. The Telegraph has published the full text in English.