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)