“How many massacres of innocents there are in the world: in the womb, on the paths of those desperate in search of hope, in the lives of many children whose childhood was destroyed by war. They are the little Jesuses of today, these children whose “childhood is devastated by war, by wars.”
It is one of the crucial passages of Pope Francis' Christmas message, which today is traditionally announced in the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica before he gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing. “The eyes and hearts of Christians around the world are fixed on Bethlehem. Where there is pain and silence in these days, the announcement that has been awaited for centuries is heard: 'A Savior is born for you, who is Christ the Lord.' ” he said, calling it “the news that changes the course of history!” For the Pope, “Saying “yes” to the Prince of Peace means saying “no” to war, to any war, to the very logic of war, a journey without a destination, a defeat without a winner, a madness without excuses.”
“But to say 'no' to war, we must say 'no' to weapons,” he warned, “for when man, whose heart is unstable and wounded, finds in his hands instruments of death, sooner or later he will use them.” .” How can we talk about peace when the production, sale and trade of arms is increasing?” “The people who do not want weapons but bread, who are struggling to move forward and asking for peace, do not know how much public money is earmarked for armaments,” he continued. “But they should know! “Speak about it, write about it.” , so that the interests and the profits that move the threads of wars are known.” Francis then addressed the conflict and tension situations in the world and called for a solution, “first and foremost” in the Holy Country. The Day of Peace “is approaching in Israel and Palestine, where war is shaking the lives of these populations. I embrace them all, especially the Christian communities in Gaza, the community of Gaza and the entire Holy Land,” he said. “I carry in my heart the pain of the victims of the heinous attack of October 7 last year and renew an urgent appeal for the release of those still held hostage,” he added “Let us not continue to foment violence and hatred, but rather move toward a solution to the Palestinian issue through sincere and persistent dialogue between the Parties, supported by strong political will and the support of the international community.”
“Let us pray for peace in Israel and Palestine,” he then urged. There was no lack of appeals for “tortured Syria,” for “still-suffering Yemen,” for the “dear Lebanese people,” “so that they can soon find political and social stability,” in the Pope’s message. Francis invoked “peace for Ukraine” and “its tormented people” as well as “final peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” The Pope also focused his attention on the “tensions and conflicts that are shaking the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Sudan as well as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan”, i.e. on the “Korean peninsula”, as well as on the American peninsula Continent where “appropriate solutions can be found to overcome social and political differences”, to combat poverty and inequalities and to address “the painful phenomenon of migration”. The final request was to “be the voice of those who have no voice”: for example, those who are starving, those who have no work, those who are forced to flee their homes. And the time before the anniversary should also be an opportunity to say “no to war and “yes” to peace.
The Pope, free the hostages, no more war in the Holy Land
The Day of Peace “is approaching in Israel and Palestine, where war is shaking the lives of these populations. “I embrace them all, especially the Christian communities in Gaza, the parish of Gaza and the entire Holy Land,” the pope said in the Urbi et Orbi message. “I carry in my heart the pain of the victims of the heinous attack of October 7 last year and renew an urgent appeal for the release of those still held hostage,” he added can be remedied so that help arrives.”
“Let us not continue to foment violence and hatred, but rather move toward a solution to the Palestinian issue through a sincere and persistent dialogue between the parties, supported by a strong political will and the support of the international community,” the Pope said again. “Brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace in Israel and Palestine,” he added.
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