VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul on Friday called for a ban on the death penalty around the world and said that senseless violence and abuse of human dignity had blurred the joy of the Christmas season for many people. The Pope`s specific appeal in his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) Christmas message for the abolishment of capital punishment was significant because it came a month before a trip to the United States, where the death penalty is practiced regularly. The 78-year-old Pope also voiced concern about the "tormented situation" in the Middle East and denounced those responsible for war crimes and genocide. He then wished the world a happy Christmas in 58 languages, including Hebrew, Arabic, Albanian and other tongues spoken in some of the world`s trouble spots. Leading his one-billion-member Church in the 21st Christmas season of his historic pontificate, the Roman Catholic leader said the serenity expressed in Christmas carols was in strident contrast with the world`s many problems.