In his Urbi et Orbi blessing, Pope Francis asked pilgrims to rediscover the meaning of Christmas. He said that the value of this holiday season is 'numbed by consumerism.'
Just as he does every year, the Pope appealed for peace in the world, especially in Ukraine.
POPE FRANCIS
May our gaze be filled with the faces of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are living this Christmas in the dark, in the cold or far from their homes because of the destruction caused by ten months of war.
Pope Francis called for the rationale of the strongest to be forgotten and for the logic of solidarity to prevail.
POPE FRANCIS
May the Lord make us ready for concrete gestures of solidarity to help those who are suffering, and enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence guns and end this senseless war immediately!
The Pope also asked for peace in the Middle East, in African countries, in the Sahel region and for countries in the Americas going through situations of serious instability. He specifically mentioned Iran, calling for an end to the bloodshed.
JRB
TR: KG