Pope Benedict has said he hoped violence, hatred and mistrust would not prevail in the world in 2009, notably in the Middle East.
The Pope was preaching at Mass in the Vatican marking his Church's traditional World Day of Peace.
He also appealed for worldwide solidarity to fight global poverty, which he said had been made worse by the financial crisis.
He said the economic crisis should be regarded as an opportunity to question the dominant development model and amend it to narrow the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
'The current global economic crisis must also be viewed as a test: are we ready to look at it, in all its complexity, as a challenge for the future and not just as an emergency that needs short-lived responses?' the Pope said.
'Are we prepared for a deep revision of the dominant development model to correct it in a concerted and far-sighted fashion?
'The state of the planet's environment and above all the cultural and moral crisis...are demanding this, even more than the immediate financial problems,' the Pope said.
Benedict added that poverty threatened peace the world over, calling for a new virtuous cycle of solidarity and sobriety.
He reiterated his appeal for an end to the conflict in Gaza, saying that violence was also a form of poverty and that a large majority of Israelis and Palestinians wanted peace.
Martin prays for Middle East peace
Meanwhile, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has spoken of apprehension and anger here at home at what has been happening in the Holy Land.
Preaching to a congregation in Booterstown, Co Dublin, that included President Mary McAleese and members of the Oireachtas and Diplomatic Corps, he prayed for an immediate ceasefire and a renewed commitment by all parties, in the Middle East and beyond, to create a climate of peace.
He criticised what he called attempts to think that peace could be achieved by force of arms and the unlimited supply of weapons to an already tense situation while local residents could not get vital aid.
Dr Martin also expressed the hope that it would be possible to take up Pope Benedict's Christmas appeal and work on the basis of partnership to eliminate all forms of child abuse at home and abroad.
Recognising the faults of the Church in this area, he asked for pardon, especially where he had caused hurt.
