Pope Francis demands peace: Call to the end of the war in Gaza and Ukraine

Pope Francis demands peace: Call to the end of the war in Gaza and Ukraine

Vatican City, Vatican City - In an urgent Christmas address, Pope Francis has drawn the world aware of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. With urgent words, he called for an immediate end of violence and the release of hostages in the war -shaken coastal strip. "The situation is extremely serious," emphasized the 88-year-old and called on to help for the hungry people.

his appeal came in the Vatican during the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" address on Wednesday, where he not only advocated Gaza, but also for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. "I am thinking of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza," he said, and asked: "May there are an armistice, the hostages may be released and help are provided for the people exhausted by hunger and war."

The shattering numbers

The situation in Gaza is alarming: since October 7, 2023, the day on which an offensive in Israel cited by Hamas began, at least 45,361 Palestinians were killed and 107,803. These brutal numbers are the result of a conflict that drove the entire population of Gaza and put large parts of the area in rubble.

"May the sound of weapons in the war -plagued Ukraine are brought to silence," the Pope called from the central balcony of the Peterskirche to the thousands of believers on the square. He called for "gestures of dialogue and the encounter to achieve a fair and permanent peace". These words come at a time when Ukraine and Russia are still in a bitter conflict that has been going on for months.

A call to hope

The Pope encouraged all people to become "pilgrims of hope" and to silence the weapons. He also addressed the devastating conditions in Sudan, where a brutal civil war has been doing millions into hunger for 20 months. "May the son of the highest support the efforts of the international community to provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population," he said and called for new negotiations for an armistice.

The brutal fights in Sudan, which broke out in April 2023, led to ethnically motivated murders and other atrocities. The International Criminal Court is already investigating possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. In the middle of these tragedies, the Pope's appeal remains a bright spot of hope in a dark time.