In his Christmas address, Pope Francis recalled sources of conflict around the world and called for peace. At the traditional blessing “Urbi et orbi” (“To the City of Rome and the World”) on December 25, he called for an end to disputes and divisions and a “silence of arms” in Ukraine and the Middle East. “With my eyes fixed on the manger of Bethlehem, I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious,” Francis said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. “Stop fire, release the hostages and help the population exhausted by hunger and war.”
Terrorism and climate change
The 88-year-old church leader also remembered the people in Lebanon, Congo, Syria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mozambique. “The humanitarian crisis that affects them is caused mainly by armed conflict and the scourge of terrorism, and is exacerbated by the devastating effects of climate change, which is leading to the loss of life and the displacement of millions,” the Pope said remembered the suffering people in the Horn of Africa, Sudan and Myanmar.
“May the Christ child enlighten political leaders and all people of good will on the American continent to find effective solutions in truth and justice as quickly as possible to promote social harmony, especially in Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua,” Francis continued.
Calls for the Holy Year
On the occasion of the Holy Year 2025, which the Pope opened the evening before, he called for all dividing walls to be torn down. Francis explicitly referred to the island of Cyprus, which has been politically divided since 1974. “I hope that an amicable solution can be found that puts an end to division while fully respecting the rights and dignity of all communities in Cyprus.”
The church’s jubilee year, the “Giubileo”, which takes place every 25 years, should also be an opportunity to cancel debts, especially those that burden the poorest countries. “All are called to forgive wrongs experienced, because the Son of God, born in the cold and darkness of the night, forgives us all our sins. He has come to heal us and to forgive us. Let us be Him as “Pilgrims walk towards hope,” said Francis, referring to the corresponding motto of the largest Catholic pilgrimage event.
The Pope also thanked all those “who do so much good in silence and faithfulness”: parents, educators and teachers, health and charity workers, law enforcement officers and Catholic missionaries. (Entire Pope’s message in full at https://www.kathpress.at/goto/melde/2436021/)
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