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by Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis called in his Christmas message on Monday for an end to political, social or military conflicts, notably in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan , denouncing the “massacres of innocent people around the world”.
In pronouncing the Christmas blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and to the world), the eleventh of his pontificate, Pope Francis also said he carried in his heart “the pain for the victims of the odious attack of October 7 last” and renewed its call for the release of the hostages.
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of thousands, he once again lambasted the arms industry, saying it ultimately pulls the “strings of wars.”
“How many massacres of innocents in the world: in the maternal womb, on the roads of the desperate in search of hope, in the lives of so many children whose childhood is devastated by war. These are the little Jesus today,” he said.
Francis, 87, paid particular attention to Christian communities in Gaza and throughout the Holy Land, calling for a resolution to the conflict “through sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties.”
“I call for an end to military operations, with their appalling consequences of innocent civilian casualties, and for the desperate humanitarian situation to be addressed by allowing humanitarian aid to arrive,” he added.
Last week, the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Classification Framework said in a report that all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents were facing critical levels of famine.
The Vatican, which maintains diplomatic relations with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, believes that a two-state solution is the only answer to the long-standing conflict.
Devoting an entire paragraph of his message to the arms trade, Francis said: “How can we talk about peace when the production, sale and trade of arms is increasing?” He called for further research into this industry.
“Let us talk about it, let us write about it, so that we know the interests and the profits that pull the strings of war.”
(Reporting Philip Pullella, French version Kate Entringer)
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