 Pope 
 John Paul II said Sunday that Christmas' true meaning risked being 
 lost by a "consumerist mentality" that is fueled by 
 publicity.
Pope 
 John Paul II said Sunday that Christmas' true meaning risked being 
 lost by a "consumerist mentality" that is fueled by 
 publicity. 
 To combat the trend, gift-givers should remember the poor and 
 needy this holiday season, the pope said. 
 The 82-year-old pontiff made the comments in his weekly appearance 
 in St. Peter's Square, already decked with a towering Christmas 
 tree and parts of the creche, the traditional scene depicting 
 Christ's birth in a manger. 
 "The simplicity of the creche contrasts with the image of 
 Christmas that sometimes is shown by insistent publicity messages," 
 the pope said. 
 "Even the beautiful tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts 
 among friends and family, under the impact of a certain consumerist 
 mentality, risks losing its authentic sense of Christmas," 
 he said. 
 He said instead, the holiday season gave the faithful the opportunity 
 to turn gestures of gift-giving into gestures of "solidarity 
 and welcoming toward the poor and needy." 
 (Agencies)