MARIAZELL, Austria (AP):

Pope Benedict XVI implored Europeans to embrace Christ's message as a reliable moral compass that can guide them through "the challenges of our time" as he celebrated an open-air Mass yesterday for more than 30,000 rain-soaked pilgrims.

He said Europe has become "child-poor," selfish and was in need of moral values.

The message was delivered at Austria's leading Roman Catholic shrine and was intended for Europe's disillusioned Catholic believers, whom the German-born pope has sought to reach out to during his two-year-old papacy.

The pope was taken by car to Mariazell, southwest of Vienna, after more poor weather on the second day of his Austria visit prompted organisers to cancel plans to take him there by army helicopter.

In his homily to 33,000 believers who packed grandstands and huddled beneath umbrellas on a rain-slicked, fog-shrouded square, Benedict called the notion that there is no absolute truth "the crisis of Europe."

"If truth does not exist for man, then neither can he ultimately distinguish between good and evil," the Pope said.

intolerance

"Yet admittedly, in the light of our history, we are fearful that faith in the truth might entail intolerance," he said. "Ifwe are gripped by this fear, which is historically well-grounded, then it is time to look toward Jesus as we see him in the shrine at Mariazell."

Christianity "contains within itself great moral strength, which is so urgently needed today on account of the challenges of our time," Benedict said.

At the same time, he stressed that Catholicism doesn't "despise other religions."

Although there have been no visions of Mary at Mariazell, it has drawn millions of pilgrims over the centuries, and Benedict said this year's 850th anniversary of its founding was "the reason for my coming."

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, chief Vatican spokesman, said a copy of the statue of the Madonna of Mariazell that was touched by the Pope was being sent to the Bishop of Shanghai - a clear gesture by Benedict to Chinese Catholics.

Pilgrims in disposable plastic raincoats cheered as the popemobile made its way through Mariazell's cobblestone streets and Benedict emerged, wading through the crowd to take his place before an outdoo>