Pope Francis delivered the traditional Christmas blessing “Urbi et Orbi” in St. Peter’s Square in Rome on Christmas Day – and spoke clearly about war-torn Ukraine.
From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the heads of some 1.4 billion Catholics blessed the city and the world. In his speech, the Pope condemned the war in Ukraine and current conflicts in the world and recalled the suffering of the people.
Impressions of the celebrations on St. Peter’s Square:
The Pope demanded that we finally pass through the “gate of peace.” Disputes and divisions must be left aside. He invites “all peoples and nations” to find this courage and silence the weapons. Finally, Francis literally called the country the ‘tortured Ukraine’. “Have the courage to open the door to negotiations,” the pope said, calling for “gestures of dialogue” to “achieve a just and lasting peace.”
Standoff between Russia and Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin only renewed his willingness to negotiate an end to his war of aggression shortly before Christmas. Putin accuses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of blocking the negotiations. Zelenskyi also recently made it clear that he was aiming for a diplomatic solution – but that he did not yet see the conditions for this.
The Pope is also concerned about the Middle East; there too the guns must be silent. Francis: “I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine.” In particular to the “beloved community in Gaza”, where the humanitarian situation is “extremely serious”.
More information about the celebrations will follow.
Source: Krone
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