12:07pm UK, Friday December 24, 2010
God is faithful to his promises but often surprises us by how he fulfils them, the Pope has said in a historic British radio broadcast.
Pope Benedict XVI wished Britons a merry Christmas
Pope Benedict's Christmas message also recalled his visit to the UK earlier this year with "great fondness".
The head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics delivered the two-minute message for BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day segment.
It was the first time the pontiff has presented material which has been specifically written for a broadcast audience.
He recorded the message in Rome on December 22.
In the broadcast, he said: "I keep all of you very much in my prayers during this Holy Season.
"I am glad to have the opportunity to greet you again, and indeed to greet listeners everywhere as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ."
He added: "I pray for your families, for your children, for those who are sick, and for those who are going through any form of hardship at this time."
The Pope visited Scotland and England during a visit to the UK three months ago, performing an open air mass and meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Thought For The Day radio segment allows speakers from a range of faiths to give a personal reflection.
But non-believers accused the BBC of becoming the "official propaganda arm of the Vatican" to help rehabilitate it after a global child abuse crisis.
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, attacked the broadcaster for allowing the Pope to deliver the message.
"The BBC is giving the Pope an unquestioned slot to continue whitewashing his Church's disgraceful record on covering up child abuse by its priests," he said.
"Why isn't the Pope being subjected the same rigorous questioning that other heads of state would get?"
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