Pope Francisin his traditional Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day, 25 December, forcefully renewed the appeal for peace in the Holy Land: “Let the weapons be silent in the Middle East! With my eyes fixed on the cradle of Bethlehem, I turn my thoughts to the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, in particular to the dear community of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very serious. Cease the fire, free the hostages and help the exhausted population from hunger and war,” he declared. He then added: “I am also close to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that in Syria, in this delicate moment. May the doors of dialogue and peace be opened throughout the region, torn by conflict. And I want to remember here also the Libyan people, encouraging them to seek solutions that allow national reconciliation”.
The appeal for Ukraine
There was also a reference to the situation in Ukraine: “Let the weapons be silenced in the tormented Ukraine! Let us have the audacity to open the door to negotiation and gestures of dialogue and meeting, to arrive at a just and lasting peace”, he said the Pontiff, reiterating the urgency of a path of reconciliation.
The Jubilee as an occasion for peace
Pope Francis underlined the importance of the Jubilee as a moment to overcome divisions and promote peace: “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid! The Door is open, the door is wide open! It is not necessary to knock, come, let us be reconciled with God, and then we will be reconciled with ourselves and we will be able to reconcile with each other, even with our enemies,” he stated fervently. He also recalled that “God's mercy can do everything, unties every knot, breaks down every wall of division, dissolves hatred and the spirit of revenge. Come, Jesus is the Door of Peace”. The Pope invited everyone to take the first step towards peace: “Entering the Door requires the sacrifice of taking a step, it requires leaving disputes and divisions behind, to abandon yourself to the open arms of the Child who is the Prince of peace” .
The Jubilee as an opportunity for the most vulnerable
During the message, Francis underlined the need for debt forgiveness for the poorest countries: “Let the Jubilee be an opportunity to forgive debts, especially those that burden the poorest countries”. And he added: “God awaits us on the threshold. He awaits each of us, especially the most fragile: he awaits the children, all the children who suffer from war and hunger; he awaits the elderly, us ancestors, often forced to live in conditions of loneliness and abandonment; it awaits those who have lost their homes or flee from their homeland in an attempt to find a safe refuge; it awaits those who have lost or cannot find a job; awaits those who are persecuted for their faith and there are many.” He then forcefully underlined that “every life is sacred”.
Thought for Africa and other conflicts
Francis dedicated part of his message to the African continent, caught between health emergencies and wars: “May the birth of the Savior bring a time of hope to the families of thousands of children who are dying from a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as to the populations of the East of that country and those of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mozambique”, he said. He highlighted how “the humanitarian crisis affecting them is mainly caused by armed conflicts and the scourge of terrorism and is aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change”. He did not forget the Horn of Africa, for which he invoked “the gifts of peace, harmony and brotherhood”. The Pontiff also asked for “the commitment of the international community in promoting access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Sudan and in starting new negotiations with a view to a ceasefire”.
The Pope then called attention to often forgotten crises, such as that of Myanmar: “May the announcement of Christmas bring comfort to the inhabitants of Myanmar, who, due to the continuous armed clashes, suffer serious suffering and are forced to flee their houses”. Finally, he made an appeal for the American continent, mentioning in particular Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua: “Let effective solutions be found as soon as possible in truth and justice, to promote social harmony, in particular in Haiti, in Venezuela , Colombia and Nicaragua, and let us work, especially in this Jubilee Year, to build the common good and rediscover the dignity of every person, overcoming political divisions”.
