U.S. Navy firemen Joseph Abdullah, left, and Mannah Gbeh sit in their fire truck on the deck of the USS Constellation Dec. 25 in the Persian Gulf. The war planes from the aircraft carrier patrol the no-fly zone in southern Iraq. :


Despite the rain, a crowd gathered in St. Peters's Square for Pope John Paul II's Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message.:


Pope John Paul II is cheered by pilgrims and faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's square. Invoking Christmas peace in a world made fearful by terrorism, the pontiff urged joint efforts to put out the "ominous smoldering" of conflict in the Middle East.:


A Christian pilgrim prays on Christmas morning in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Israeli forces withdrew from Bethlehem this week in order to allow Christmas festivities in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, but the streets remained mostly empty.:


18-month-old Yasmin Jubran, a Palestinian Christian, watches as her mother lights a candle during Christmas observances in the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.:


Members of the Pakistani Christian community gather at a local church under tight security to celebrate Christmas in Lahore. Since Pakistan lent its support to the U.S.-led military campaign to overthrow Afghanistan's hard-line Taliban, attacks on Christians by suspected Islamic militants have killed about 30 people and injured at least 100.:


Wax drips from candles lit by devotees inside a Roman Catholic church at suburban Baclaran, south of Manila, Philippines, in hope that prayers be granted on Christmas Day.:


Oil-stained soldiers take a break Wednesday during their cleaning work on a beach at Cape Touri in the Spanish region of Galicia. France and Spain may soon have to fight together against the ecological disaster as high winds drive a massive oil slick from the Bahamas-registered sunken tanker Prestige toward French waters.:


Irish tourists Tina McLaughlin, left, and Catriona Doherty cool off in the surf on Christmas Day, as temperatures reach 86 degrees F at Bondi Beach, Sydney.:


U.S. soldiers stationed on a rooftop dress for Christmas at Bagram Air Base near Kabul. U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan celebrated the birth of Christ with prayers and hymns and Christmas dinner.:

Iraqi Christians girls pray during morning Christmas Services in Amman, Jordan. Iraq took a swipe at some Arab governments on Tuesday, saying their declared refusal to take part alongside the United States in a possible war against Baghdad fell well short of Arab aspirations. Several Arab countries, including Iraq neighbors Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have said they would not allow the United States to use their territories in any unilateral military action against Iraq.:


Ann Bodnar walks home Dec. 25 through driving snow after exchanging gifts with a neighbor in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Residents in northeast Ohio awoke to a white Christmas courtesy of a winter storm that dumped 4 to 6 inches of snow over the area.: