Believe in God.

Vatican City -- Pope Benedict told the Roman Curia December 22, 2006 in his annual pre-Christmas speech that there is "an unbreakable connection between the relationship of people with God and their relationships with each other;" and that the world would have greater peace and hope for the future if more of us believed in God and recognized each other as his children. He expressed concern about peace in the world, the declining population of Europe, doubts about priestly celibacy, and crises in marriage and family life: all of which can be traced to an increasing sense that God may not exist or that what He asks is impossible to fulfill.

"The year that is ending remains in our memory with the deep mark of the horrors of war [in Lebanon], as well as of the danger of a clash between cultures and religions--a danger that still looms over our time in history (CNS, Dec. 22, 2006)."