Pope at Christmas Mass calls for peace, including in Ukraine

Pope Francis at the Christmas Mass has called for peace, mentioning people in different parts of the world who are suffering because of war. The pontiff called for an end to conflicts, whether political, social or military, in places such as Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Reuters

Quote: "How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world! In their mothers' wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war. They are the little Jesuses of today."

Details: In the Pope's words, the children who die in wars, including in Gaza, are "the little Jesuses of today" and that Israeli strikes in the Strip reap an "appalling harvest" of innocent civilians.

He said he pleaded for an end to the hostilities, which are causing civilian casualties, and called for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza by allowing access for humanitarian aid.

At the same time, the pontiff said that his "heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of 7 October" by the Hamas group on Israel and reiterated his call for the release of hostages held by terrorists.

Background:

• Previously, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen, in his Christmas greetings to the peacekeeping forces, mentioned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in which Kyiv, he said, is fighting for Europe's future.
• Earlier, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell once again drew attention to the threat that Russia's victory against Ukraine would present for the European Union.
• Over 130 employees of the US Department of Homeland Security have asked President Joe Biden's administration to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
• Meanwhile, the UK and German Foreign Ministers insist that all parties should move towards a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine once the active phase of the war is over.

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