“The Prince of Peace is still rejected by the lost logic of war,” lamented the sovereign pope during Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
“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. “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.
Read alsoBethlehem without Christmas festivities: the story of the special correspondent of Le Figaro
“Let’s think of Palestine, Israel, Ukraine”
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 telling us: 'Please stop the war, be more peaceful.' We live in the 21st century, this is a terrible thing,” Filipa Sousa, 20, a tourist from Porto who attended the mass in St. Peter's Square, told AFP.
Also read: Pope Francis' message to Christians: “Look to Bethlehem”
The Argentine Jesuit will deliver his traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and to the World”) at noon on Monday (11 a.m. GMT), during which he traditionally gives an overview of conflicts in the world.