For the first time Pope Benedict XVI published a Christmas-themed opinion piece for a secular newspaper, The Financial Times.

The op-ed was published Thursday. In it the pope advises the world to use this season as a time of serious thought.

"The birth of Christ challenges us to reassess our priorities, our values, our very way of life. While Christmas is undoubtedly a time of great joy, it is also an occasion for deep reflection, even an examination of conscience," he writes. Read the full article here.

This is the pope's first article published in a secular paper. The Vatican said he has also written for an Italian religious affairs magazine and the weekly newspaper of his former Diocese in Munich.