VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has urged Europeans to defend their continent's religious and cultural heritage.

The pope told pilgrims Wednesday that all those who hold the future of Europe dear to their hearts should "rediscover, appreciate and defend the rich cultural and religious heritage" of past centuries.

Benedict has been urging Europeans to keep alive their Christian roots, saying that Christian values are fundamental for the survival of societies. How to reinvigorate the faith in an increasingly secular Europe is a central theme of Benedict's papacy.