Pope Francis urged this Wednesday to silence the guns and “overcome divisions” in the world, addressing the millions of Christians who celebrate a Christmas once again overshadowed by conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and other regions.
As every year in his traditional message “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world), with planetary transmission, the Argentine pontiff reviewed the main conflicts and sources of tension in the two hemispheres.
“I invite all people (…) to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the weapons and overcome divisions,” he said before thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Jorge Bergoglio, 88, denounced the “very serious” humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and called for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
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The day before, the Pope began the 2025 “Holy Year” of the Catholic Church, for which more than 30 million pilgrims are expected in Rome.
During the mass, he invited the faithful to think about “wars, children being machine-gunned, bombs in schools or hospitals,” alluding to Israel’s bombings in Gaza.
Francis, who cited no less than 18 countries, recalled on Wednesday Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua among them.
“May the baby Jesus inspire the political authorities and all people of good will on the American continent in order to find effective solutions in truth and justice as soon as possible, to promote social harmony, in particular I think of Haiti, Venezuela , Colombia, Nicaragua; that special work be done during this jubilee year to build the common good and rediscover the dignity of each person, overcoming political divisions,” said the pontiff.
The Jesuit also sent a message to Ukraine, which celebrates Christmas for the second time in its modern history on December 25, and not January 7 as in the Julian calendar that governs the Russian Orthodox Church.
“Let the guns fall silent in the martyred Ukraine. “Let us have the audacity to open the door to negotiations (…) to reach a just and lasting peace,” he declared, hours after Russia launched more than 70 missiles against the Ukrainian energy network.
– “We limit our joy” –
In Bethlehem, a city in the occupied West Bank and the cradle of Christianity, celebrations were muted.
Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, Bethlehem has dispensed with its enormous Christmas tree and the elaborate decorations that normally attract tourists, settling for a few festive lights.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told a small crowd that he had just returned from Gaza, where he saw “everything that was destroyed, the poverty, the disaster.”
“But I also saw life. They don’t give up. So you should not give up either,” he added.
Jerusalem resident Hisham Makhul said spending Christmas in the holy city offered an “escape route” from the war between Israel and Hamas, which has ravaged the Gaza Strip for more than 14 months.
“What we are experiencing is very difficult and we cannot forget it completely,” declared Makhul, referring to the situation in the besieged territory.
The Ministry of Health of the Hamas government in Gaza reported 23 deaths in 24 hours in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday.
– Gaza and Syria –
About 1,100 Christians live in Gaza, and hundreds gathered at a church to pray for an end to the war.
“This Christmas smells like death and destruction,” said George Al Sayegh, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Christians on Tuesday, thanking them for their support of Israel’s fight against the “forces of evil.”
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In Syria, where Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8, the new authorities, dominated by Islamists, have tried to reassure Christians in a country with a large Sunni majority.
“It was not obvious to come together under the current circumstances and pray with joy, but thank God, we have done it,” said Sarah, who attended St. George’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in Damascus.
– Solidarity dinner –
In Germany, Christmas was also marred for many families after the multiple car accident that left five dead at a Christmas market, prompting President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to launch a call for unity.
In Buenos Aires, a solidarity dinner for homeless people brought together about three thousand people in front of the National Congress. Argentina is experiencing a very difficult social situation, since poverty reaches more than half of the population after the first year of the ultraliberal Javier Milei’s government.
“I came because I feel alone and it’s sad,” lamented Walter Villagra, a 54-year-old homeless man who survives by collecting cans since he lost his job as an electrician four years ago.
In the United States, the annual tradition of following Santa Claus’s journey was launched thanks to a website.
And in France, many faithful rushed to attend the traditional Christmas mass at Notre Dame de Paris, which celebrated it for the first time since the 2019 fire.
