The head of the Catholic Church put Ukrainians spending Christmas in the dark, in the cold, away from home, first in his appeal for peace, which was delivered from the lodge of St. Peter's Basilica.
The Pope called for an immediate end to the "senseless" war. The head of the church believed that the birth of the child in Bethlehem marked the path of light and peace, but today's world follows a "different logic".
He pointed out that the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for ten months, is causing a food crisis in distant countries. He believed that food should not be a weapon, but a tool for peace.
Among other sites of the "Third World War", he mentioned Syria, Lebanon, the Sahel region of Africa, called for a permanent ceasefire in Yemen, reconciliation in Myanmar, an end to the bloodshed in Iran, a solution to the political and social tensions on the South American continent - highlighting the long-suffering population of Haiti - , called for the resumption of dialogue and mutual trust between Israelis and Palestinians.
He advocated the support of Christian communities in the Middle East and fraternal coexistence between religions.
The Pope reminded that the name of Bethlehem means "house of bread" and today in the world people, including children, are starving, while huge amounts of food are being thrown away and resources are being spent on weapons. He explained that the war in Ukraine has exacerbated food shortages in some countries, such as Afghanistan and the east coast of Africa.
He added that those who lost their jobs in the economic crisis and cannot support themselves should not be forgotten either.
Pope Francis reminded that God is born in a cave, placed in a manger intended for animals, as his parents could not find a place to stay even though Mary arrived at the hour of delivery. He is born in the cold, as a poor among the poor: "he comes among us in silence and in the darkness of the night, since the word of God does not need spotlights and the noise of cries (..) it knocks on the door of our hearts to find warmth and shelter", he declared.
The head of the church reached out to today's humanity to awaken its soul from its immobility and false celebration, which forgets who we are really celebrating at Christmas.
Jesus is the way of peace, said the Pope, emphasizing that the birth of the Bethlehem child made a world closed in hostility and wars open, free in the name of brotherhood and peace.
The head of the church believed that humanity must follow the same path today, and the first step is getting rid of unnecessary burdens, "ballasts", such as attachment to power and money, arrogance, hypocrisy and lies.
He added: in the face of the Bethlehem child, we recognize those children who yearn for peace in all parts of the world.
"Even today, Jesus comes to a world sick with indifference, which does not accept him, even rejects him, as happens with many foreigners, or ignores him, as we do with the poor. Let's not forget the many refugees who knock on our doors for comfort, warmth, and food. "Let's not forget the excluded, the lonely, the orphans, the elderly, who are at risk of being discarded, the people in prison, who are only judged by their mistakes and are not seen as human beings," said the Pope.
According to the Holy See, the Pope's speech was heard by a crowd of 70,000 in St. Peter's Square and in the streets surrounding the Vatican.
MTI
Photo: MTI/EPA/Giuseppe Lami
