Pope Francis used his Christmas message on Sunday to lament the “icy winds of war” buffeting humanity and to make an impassioned plea for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, a 10-month-old conflict he described as senseless.
At noon local time, Francis delivered the traditional Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) speech from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
Tens of thousands of tourists, pilgrims and residents of Rome crowded into St Peter’s Square to listen to the pontiff and to receive his blessing.
Francis also mentioned long-running conflicts in the Middle East, including in the Holy Land, “where in recent months violence and confrontations have increased, bringing death and injury in their wake”.
He prayed for a long-lasting cease-fire in Yemen as well as for peace in Iran and Myanmar.
He bemoaned that during the holiday season, social factors like as "addiction to power and money, pride, hypocrisy, and deceit" obstruct the "way of peace."
Francis added, "In fact, we must admit with sorrow that, even as the Prince of Peace is presented to us, the icy winds of war continue to buffet humanity.
"Let us turn to Bethlehem and ponder the face of the child who is born for us," he added. "If we want it to be Christmas, the birth of Jesus and of peace."
"And let us see the faces of all those children who desire for peace everywhere in the globe in that small and innocent face."
Francis urged the faithful to remember the millions of Ukrainians living without heat or electricity as a result of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, as well as the millions more who have been displaced within their own country or as refugees abroad since Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion on February 24.
As a result of the destruction brought on by the war's ten-month duration, the pontiff added, "Let us also see the faces of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, who are experiencing this Christmas in the dark and cold, far from their homes."
"Enlighten the thoughts of those who have the authority to hush the roar of guns and put an urgent end to this senseless war," the pope prayed.
In these times people are living through conflicts in Syria, the Holy Land, Lebanon, the Sahel, Yemen... May the Lord lead these regions toward #peace and bring reconciliation to the American continent, to Myanmar and to Iran so that all bloodshed might cease.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) December 25, 2022
"On this day, as we gather around a table that has been spread out, may we not turn away from Bethlehem, a town whose name means house of bread, but think of all those, especially the children, who go without food while vast quantities of food are wasted every day and resources are being used to buy weapons," the hymn says.
In particular in Afghanistan and the nations of the Horn of Africa, Francis stated, "the war in Ukraine has worsened this situation and put entire peoples at risk of famine."
The Black Sea ports of Ukraine, one of the biggest producers of grain and corn in the world, were shut off by sea mines and a Russian naval blockade early in the conflict.
The UN and Turkey mediated a deal that aimed to solve the issue.
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