Mon 31 Dec 2007, 17:46 GMT
ROME, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Western society is suffering a "deficit of
hope" where many people seek shallow sexual gratification instead
of faith and family values, Pope Benedict said in a New Year's Eve
sermon.
"More than a few, especially youngsters, are attracted by false
exaltations or, rather, profanation of the body and banalisation of
sexuality," the Pope said during his homily at evening prayers in
St. Peter's Basilica.
"... We are seeing a deficit of hope and confidence in life which
constitutes the 'dark' evil of modern Western society."
A day after hundreds of thousands of Spaniards marched in in favour
of the traditional family in Madrid -- a repeat of a similar
demonstration in Italy in May -- the Pope said he was heartened by
Catholics standing up for their beliefs.
"It is of course comforting to see the work undertaken in recent
years by parishes, movements and religious family associations
continuing to develop and bear fruit," he said.
Both the Rome and Madrid demonstrations were supposedly apolitical
but both were aimed against laws, either passed or under
consideration, to recognise unmarried or gay couples and make
divorce easier -- things considered by the Church to be a threat to
the traditional family.
Benedict, the leader of 1.1 billion members of the Roman Catholic
faith, said Western society risked an "educational emergency" if it
did not teach its children a correct moral code.
"Without uproar, with patient trust, let us seek to face up to such
an emergency, especially in the family arena," he said. (Reporting
by Robin Pomeroy)