“Our hearts are in Bethlehem tonight,” Pope Francis said during Christmas Mass on Sunday evening, as celebrations in the occupied West Bank city were overshadowed by the war between Israel and Hamas.
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“Our hearts are tonight in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is still rejected by the lost logic of war, with the battle of arms that, even today, prevents him from finding a place in the world,” said the Argentine Pope from St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
According to the Vatican, about 6,500 believers attended the Mass, which the pope presided over in the presence of religious leaders and the diplomatic corps, while hundreds of others watched on giant screens installed outside in St. Pierre Square.
The Mecca of Christianity, the city of Bethlehem – where, according to tradition, Christ was born – was deserted by pilgrims this year and most Christmas celebrations were canceled due to the war.
AFP
On Sunday afternoon, during the weekly Angelus prayer, the head of the Catholic Church had already referred to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army increased its bombing in the south of the area on Sunday.
“We are close to our brothers and sisters who suffer from war: let us think of Palestine, of Israel, of Ukraine,” he said.
“In this current situation, I think it is important to hear a voice that tells us: 'Please stop the war, be more peaceful'. We live in the 21st century, this is a terrible thing,” said Filipa Sousa , 20, a tourist from Porto who attended mass in St. Peter's Square, told AFP.
The Argentine Jesuit will give his traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) on Monday at 12:00 p.m. (local time), giving a traditional overview of conflicts in the world.
AFP