The primate of Belgium, Mgr Luc Terlinden, spoke of this night in his Christmas homily:the dramas that are playing out before our eyes“, notably in Ukraine, in Gaza or even, the images of “atrocities perpetrated” by the former Syrian regime. Despite these tragedies, the archbishop hopes for better days and delivers a message full of hope.
During his Christmas homily, Archbishop Luc Terlinden began with a poignant observation: “The context of Jesus' birth was also marked by war, violence, blood and tears. 'The boots struck the ground and the cloaks were covered with blood,' the prophet Isaiah tells us. How many peoples, even today, cannot recognize themselves in these words? Every day, this drama is replayed before our eyes: in Ukraine, in Gaza, or through images of atrocities perpetrated by the old regime in Syria. Blood and tears continue to flood our world” he said.
Can we really rejoice in times of desolation?
Faced with these tragedies, the archbishop nevertheless delivers a message of hope for better days. “And yet, in the midst of this darkness, the prophet also announces an era of light and joy. How is this possible? Can we really rejoice in times of desolation and violence? The birth of Jesus offers us an answer. At Christmas, hope is also born“, adds Mgr Luc Terlinden.
He continues: “Does this mean that we must accept our fate with resignation? Should we be content to endure wars, calamities, violence and injustice while waiting for heaven to finally bring us salvation? Is Christian hope only a comfort for tomorrow? An expedient, a subterfuge, as Christianity has often been criticized? No, if we celebrate Christmas every year, it is because the hope that is born on this night concerns us today.“
Regarding the conflicts mentioned, since the start of the war in Ukraine, President Zelensky declared in early December that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 370,000 others injured since the Russian invasion in February 2022. On the civilian side, the High Commission of the United Nations for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified more than 30,010 civilian casualties in the country: 11,284 killed and 22,594 injured since the start of the Russian military attack against Ukraine in February 2022, until June 2024.
In Gaza, according to figures from local authorities, around 40,000 people have lost their lives since the start of the war, triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Christmas Homily Mgr Luc Terlinden
