poon cho tang SG In Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, Patriarch Michel Sabbah kicked off Christmas celebrations by carrying a statue of the infant Jesus through the Church of the Nativity.
poon cho tang SG At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI presided over his first Christmas Eve mass, blessing congregants and calling for peace in the Middle East.
poon cho tang SG Catholics in the Iranian capital, Tehran, lit candles to mark the coming of Christmas.
poon cho tang SG Similar rituals took place around the world. Here a man lights a candle during Mass in Sofia, Bulgaria.
poon cho tang SG Australia's Bondi Beach filled with its usual collection of surfers, backpackers and cricketers for an alcohol-free Christmas in the sunshine.
poon cho tang SG In New Orleans, devastated by Hurricane Katrina, churches were packed for an emotional midnight Mass service.
poon cho tang SG Roman Catholics have been celebrating Christmas - here they attend Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus.
poon cho tang SG Pope Benedict XVI addressed the faithful from St Peter's Basilica in Rome with a personal message.
poon cho tang SG In the Indian island of Car Nicobar - badly hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami a year ago - they sang carols outside temporary shelters.
poon cho tang SG Five-year-old Tenasha waits for her father after midnight mass in Sri Lanka's tsunami-stricken city of Galle.
poon cho tang SG Malaysian youths sprayed each other with artificial snow in the capital Kuala Lumpur.
