Pope Francis, photo: Getty Images
Pope Francis called for peace at his Christmas Mass, remembering people in different parts of the world who are suffering because of war, the pontiff called for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places such as Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Source : “European Truth” with reference to Reuters
Direct speech : “How many innocent people are killed in our world! In the womb of their mothers, in the odysseys made in despair and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little children whose childhood was destroyed by war. They are the little Jesuses of the present.”
Details : He said children who die in wars, including in Gaza, are the “little Jesuses of the present” and that Israeli strikes in the strip are reaping a “terrible harvest” of innocent civilians.
He said he was pleading for an end to hostilities that are causing civilian casualties and calling for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza by opening up humanitarian access.
At the same time, the pontiff said that his “heart grieves for the victims of the disgusting attack on October 7” by Hamas on Israel and again called for the release of hostages in the hands of terrorists.
What preceded :
- Before this, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkanen, in his Christmas greeting to the peacekeeping forces, recalled Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where Kyiv, according to him, is waging a war for the future of Europe.
- Let us recall that earlier EU top diplomat Josep Borrell already drew attention to the danger of a Russian victory against Ukraine for the European Union project.
- Earlier, more than 130 US Department of Homeland Security officials asked President Joe Biden's administration to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
- Meanwhile, the British and German foreign ministers insist all sides must move towards a “two-state” solution – Israel and Palestine – once the hot phase of the war ends.