Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In his traditional Christmas Day address, the Pope said “boldness [was] needed to open the door” to dialogue “in order to achieve a just and lasting peace” between the two sides.
His appeal followed a major Russian attack the same day on Ukraine’s energy facilities, which Ukraine said involved at least 184 missiles and drones.
Reiterating the Christmas Day message he delivered last year, Pope Francis also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the freeing of hostages held by Hamas.
Pope Francis also said his thoughts were with the Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria, where rebels recently overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after 24 years in power.
Pope Francis has urged Russia and Ukraine to engage in talks in order to put an end to the conflict that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine started.
The Pope stated that “boldness [was] needed to open the door” to communication “in order to achieve a just and lasting peace” between the two sides” in his customary Christmas Day speech.
Following a significant Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy facilities that same day, which Ukraine claimed involved at least 184 missiles and drones, he made the appeal.
A call by the pope for Kyiv to have “the courage to raise the white flag” and negotiate an end to the war was vehemently rejected by Ukraine earlier this year.
Other conflicts were also mentioned in his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message.
In front of thousands of people in St. Peter’s sq\., the 88-year-old Pope said, “May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine,” among other things.
“Every person, from every country, is invited. “to become pilgrims of hope, to overcome divisions, and to silence the sounds of arms,” he said.
Pope Francis also urged a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Hamas hostages, echoing his message from Christmas Day last year.
“I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” he stated.
“The doors of dialogue and peace be flung open,” he was requesting.
On October 7, 2023, Israel was attacked by the Hamas rulers of Gaza, sparking the start of the war in that territory. The gunmen killed roughly 1,200 people and captured another 251 to return to Gaza. Israel’s offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which is run by Hamas.
When the Pope called Israel’s attacks “cruelty” twice earlier this week, Israel sharply criticized the comments, calling them “particularly disappointing.”.
Pope Francis also said that he was thinking of the Christian communities in Syria and Lebanon, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was recently overthrown by rebels after 24 years in power. According to reports, the number of Christians in Syria has decreased since the war began in 2011 and is now only a small portion of the country’s pre-war population of about 1.5 million.
Since the Islamist rebels took control of Syria, minorities have voiced concerns about their future there, despite claims that all religions will be protected by the main rebel organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
