The Pope: «Cease the fire in Gaza, open negotiations for peace in Ukraine»

In the message to the city and the world on the occasion of Holy Christmas, Pope Francis launched a new appeal for an end to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. «Let the weapons be silent in the tormented Ukraine. Have the audacity to open the door to negotiated and to gestures of dialogue and meeting to arrive at one just and lasting peace. Let the weapons be silent 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 firelet the hostages be freed and help the population exhausted by hunger and war”, said Bergoglio. And again: «I am also close to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the South, and to that in Syriain this delicate moment. The doors of the dialogue and peace throughout the region, torn by conflict.”

The Pope: «May the Jubilee be an opportunity to break down all walls»

The Pope then also addressed a thought to African continentcaught between health emergencies and conflicts: «May the birth of the Savior bring a time of hope to the families of thousands of children who are dying from aepidemic in Congoas well as to the populations of the East of that country and those of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mozambique. There humanitarian crisis that affects them is mainly caused by armed conflicts and the plague of terrorism and is exacerbated by the devastating effects of climate change, resulting in the loss of life and displacement of millions of people. I also think of the populations of the countries of the Horn of Africa for whom I implore the gifts of peace, harmony and brotherhood.” So the appeal to international community to facilitate access to humanitarian aid. «May the Jubilee be an opportunity to break down all walls of separation. The ideological ones, which often mark political life, and also the physical ones”, he concluded.