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Pope Francis calls for peace and compassion in crisis areas
Pope Francis calls for peace as he addresses global conflicts and humanitarian crises in his Christmas address.
Pope Francis calls for peace and compassion in crisis areas
In his moving Christmas address, Pope Francis once again called for peace and an end to conflicts worldwide. During the traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi” on December 25, the 88-year-old church leader particularly recalled the serious humanitarian crises in Ukraine and the Middle East. “Stop the fire, release the hostages and help the population exhausted by hunger and war,” he appealed to the suffering people in Gaza and other crisis regions. In his message, he not only condemned the violence, but also called for increased solidarity with those suffering from armed conflict and climate change, such as in Lebanon, Syria and Africa Kathpress reported.
Criticism of the military action in the Gaza Strip
Francis' words came amid increasing violence in the Gaza Strip, where he described military actions as "atrocity." At an Angelus prayer, he spoke of “so much cruelty to the children who are being shot at with machine guns” and criticized bombings of schools and hospitals. These statements came after an Israeli air strike that killed 10 members of a family, including seven children, on Friday. Israel's army denied these reports and said it was targeting militants. In response to the Pope's comments, the Israeli Foreign Ministry pointed out that Francis ignores the reality of the fight against terrorism and "applies double standards" between victims and perpetrators, such as Yahoo News reported.
In his Christmas message, Francis appealed, among other things, to political leaders to find an amicable solution for the partially divided island of Cyprus and called for the social walls in the world to be torn down. Addressing the ongoing hardship in countries such as Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, he called for collective and effective solutions to promote peace and social harmony. By appealing both to the hearts of people and pointing out the need for reconciliation, the Pope aims for common action for the good of humanity.