Pope urges more 'sharing and giving' in Christmas mass

Vatican City: Pope Francis on Monday assailed the "insatiable greed" of today´s consumerism, calling on people in his Christmas homily to make "sharing and giving" more a part of their lives.

"Mankind became greedy and voracious," the leader of the world´s 1.3 billion Catholics said in an address to thousands of followers in Saint Peter´s Basilica in Rome.

"In our day, for many people, life´s meaning is found in possessing, in having an excess of material objects," he said.

"An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive."

The birth of Christ pointed to a new way to live "not by devouring and hoarding, but by sharing and giving", he said during a Christmas Eve mass.

We "must not lose our footing or slide into worldliness and consumerism," he added.

People should ask themselves: "Do I really need all these material objects and complicated recipes for living? Can I manage without all these unnecessary extras and live a life of greater simplicity?" he asked.

Pope Francis, who turned 82 earlier this month, will deliver his sixth "Urbi et Orbi" address on Tuesday, Christmas Day -- when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ -- to pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter´s Square.