Christmas homily for Papa from St. Peter's Square. On the day after the opening of the Holy Door, the Holy Father pronounced the blessing of Holy Christmas while looking out from the Central Loggia of the Vatican Basilica. “Brothers and sisters, the door of God's heart is always open, let us return to him! Let's return to the heart that loves us and forgives us! Let us allow ourselves to be forgiven by him, let us be reconciled with him. This means the Holy Door of the Jubileewhich I opened here in St. Peter's yesterday evening: it represents Jesus, the door of salvation open to all. Jesus is the door that the merciful father opened in the middle of the world, in the middle of history, so that we can all return to Him“, said the Pontiff.
In the “urbi et orbi” blessing the Pope also made reference to the ongoing wars: “At this Christmas, the beginning of the Jubilee Year, I invite every person, every people and nation to have the courage to cross the Door, to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the weapons and to overcome divisions! Keep the weapons silent 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. Let the weapons be silent in the Middle East“. With his eyes fixed on the cradle of Bethlehem, the Pope continued, “I turn my thoughts to Christian communities in Israel and in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very serious. Let the fire cease, the hostages be freed and the population exhausted by hunger and war be helped. 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“.
The Jubilee, added the Pope, “be the opportunity to repay debts, especially those that burden the poorest countries. Everyone is called to forgive the offenses received, because the Son of God, who was born in the cold and darkness of the night, forgives all our debts“. The humanitarian crisis in Africa that affects the poorest countries “it is mainly caused by armed conflicts and the scourge of terrorism and is aggravated by devastating effects of climate change, resulting in the loss of human life and the 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.
May the son of the Most High support 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“.
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