Pope Francis pronounced the Urbi et Orbi, the traditional blessing “for the city and the world”, from the balcony of St. Peter’s on Wednesday. He addressed thousands of spectators from his wheelchair.
In his Christmas speech, the Catholic leader called, among other things, for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, to “silence the guns” in the “tormented Ukraine.” He said he hoped for a “fair and lasting peace” between the two countries. Earlier this year, the Pope received criticism from Ukraine for calling on the country to muster the courage to “wave the white flag.” By this he meant negotiations to stop the war.
The Pope also highlighted the war between Israel and Hamas and said the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “very serious.” “Let the shooting stop,” he said, “let the hostages be freed and the people exhausted by hunger and war helped.” His blessings also went out to “the Christian community in southern Lebanon and Syria at this fragile moment.”
The Pope also reflected on the children in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are “dying from a measles epidemic”, on the humanitarian disaster in Sudan and on the armed conflicts and “terrorism” in Niger, Mozambique and Burkina Faso, among others. The poor humanitarian situation in those countries is being exacerbated by “the devastating effects of climate change,” which will cost lives and displace millions worldwide, the pope said.