CNS PHOTO | BOB ROLLER A man reads Scripture before Sunday Mass in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Pope Benedict said the renewal of faith must be a priority for all members of the Church.

Christianity and even religious belief are in grave danger across the globe, risking oblivion, Pope Benedict said.

"Across vast areas of the earth, faith runs the danger of extinguishing like a flame that runs out of fuel," he said.

The world faces "a profound crisis of faith, and a loss of a sense of religion constitutes the biggest challenge for the Church today," he said.

The pope said the renewal of faith has to be a priority for all members of the Church.

He hoped the upcoming Year of Faith, starting in October, would further such effort.

The pope told members and consultants of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Jan. 27 that Christian unity is essential to helping the Gospel seem more credible in today's world.