Christian leaders used their pulpits this Christmas to draw moral lessons from the economic downturn, preaching traditional values of helping the poor and attempting to offer spiritual solace at a time of material crisis.

The Queen also began her traditional Christmas message with reference to the economy. “Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more sombre occasion for many,” she said.

She, the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury all emphasised how in such a climate salvation could be found through helping others. The Queen, who is Supreme Governor of the established Church of England, said: “Over the years those who have seemed to me to be the most happy, contented and fulfilled have always been the people who have lived the most outgoing and unselfish lives; the kind of people who are generous with their talents or their time.”

The Pope warned that the world faced ruin if selfishness prevailed over solidarity as the recession bit. Pope Benedict XVI called for a “spirit of authentic solidarity” to be embraced to enable people in all nations, rich and poor, to be helped. He joined other religious leaders in focusing attention on Zimbabwe in particular, where he said people were “trapped for too long in a political and social crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening”.

Delivering his traditional Christmas Day message, Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) from the balcony of St Peter’s, where many thousands had gathered to hear him speak, he said the “heart of the Christian message is meant for all men and women”.

He said: “If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart.” The Pope spoke of violence and tensions in the Middle East as well, lamenting that “the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians”. Church leaders in Britain used their Christmas sermons to try to reassure congregations, where many worshippers face uncertain financial futures. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said that it was common in hard times to look for a “saviour” who would bring back the age of prosperity. Barack Obama, the US President-elect, was being loaded with many such messianic expectations, Dr Williams said.

The Archbishop, who has been outspokenly critical of Gordon Brown’s handling of the economic downturn, indicated that he was girding his loins for more clashes with the Government in the coming year. He said that it was the duty of all Christians to become personally involved in helping and fighting on behalf of those worst affected by the recession.

Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, warned against the “ruthless gain” of banks tempted to indulge in exploitative lending and “enrich themselves at their poor neighbours’ expense”. Preaching at York Minster, where David Cameron, the Conservative leader, and his family were among worshippers, he said: “True charity repudiates the idea of personal gain as a result of lending money to make ruthless gain – usury – bringing about permanent disappropriation and enslavement. Clearly the way to come closer to God is to be generous and honest towards our fellow human beings.”

The Archbishop also urged the country to rediscover the spirit of wartime solidarity in an attempt to see its way through the economic turmoil. “In the present economic crisis we need to rediscover that spirit of togetherness that helped the British people during the Second World War to stand together in the face of food rationing and the Blitz. And conquer this crisis we will! We had better stand together or we will all hang separately economically.”

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Con-nor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, said that the crisis had caused a breakdown of trust. Calling for a society rooted in care and compassion the Cardinal said: “My dream is of a society that becomes more deeply human, more satisfying, more hopeful.”

Delivering his homily for the 2008 Christmas midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral, he said that one of the most corrosive aspects of the recession was a breakdown in trust. “Christians neither condemn nor canonise the market economy; it may be an essential element in the conduct of human affairs. But we have to remember that it is a system governed by people, not some blind force like gravity. Those who operate the market economy have an obligation to act in ways that promote the common good . . . the market economy will only work justly if it has an underlying moral purpose.”

The hardest hit in the economic crisis, the Cardinal said, would be those already below the poverty line. He emphasised that it was important to also remember those in even greater need, particularly in Africa.

A second leading Roman Catholic cleric in Britain also warned of the threat of the “darkest night” facing the world in the economic crisis.

The Most Rev Patrick Kelly, the Archbishop of Liverpool, said that the world was suffering from a “terrible hangover” of debt. “The reality we face this Christmas is the threat of a morning after the night before – such a morning that becomes darkest night,” he told the congregation at the Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool.

The Anglican Archbishop of Wales criticised television talent shows for promoting unrealistic expectations. Preaching at Llandaff, Cardiff, he said: “TV shows reinforce this image of perfection that we seem to long for.”

Dr Barry Morgan told the congregation that God was with people whose lives were far from perfect, from those in war-torn regions to everyone affected by the credit crunch.

He said: “Christmas is . . . about the real world, God dealing with the world as it is where so much is wrong, where there is so much pain, suffering and anguish.”

Times Recommends

• UK regional accents thrive against the odds
• ‘Scarecrow’ wind farms put rare birds to flight
• What an anti-climax: G-spot is a myth