The war in Ukraine is the focus of this year's festive blessing "Urbi et Orbi". Pope Francis calls for more peace efforts by those "who have the power to silence the guns". It also commemorates "other scenes of the Third World War".
In his Christmas message, Pope Francis called for more peace efforts in Ukraine, Syria, the Middle East and other regions of conflict. From the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the head of the Catholic Church lamented on Christmas Day "that while the Prince of Peace is bestowed upon us, the winds of war continue to blow icy cold across humanity".
Francis encouraged the faithful to think of the face of the newborn Jesus in the manger. "And in this small, innocent face we recognize the faces of the children who long for peace in all parts of the world," said the 86-year-old before he gave the "Urbi et Orbi ", the city and the world, donated.
Above all, the bloody conflict in Ukraine shapes and overshadows this Christmas. "May our gaze embrace the faces of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are living this Christmas in the dark, in the cold, or far from their homes - due to the devastation caused by ten months of war," Francis said.
He asked God to "enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the guns and put an immediate end to this senseless war! Unfortunately, one prefers to listen to other considerations, those of the logic of the world dictated. But the child's voice, who listens to it?"
Francis also spoke of "other scenes of this third world war" and stated: "Let's think of Syria, which is still tormented by a conflict that has receded somewhat but is not over; and let's think of the Holy Land, where violence and clashes have increased in recent months, with deaths and injuries."
The Pope asked for support for Lebanon, the Sahel, Yemen, Myanmar and Iran. He also recalled tensions on the American continent, such as Haiti. As many "gather around the set table," the Pope said, "Let us think of the people who are suffering from hunger, especially the children, while every day large amounts of food are wasted and money is spent on weapons." He recalled Afghanistan and the states of the Horn of Africa and asked not to forget refugees, the marginalized, displaced, the poor and the elderly.
