The conflicts that stain the world with blood were this Monday at the epicenter of the Pope's Urbi et Orbi Blessing on Christmas Day. “The people, who do not want weapons but bread, who fight to get ahead and demand peace, ignore how much public money is spent on weapons. However, they should know! Let it be talked about, let it be written, so that the interests and profits that pull the strings of wars are known.”
Francis appeared in the central Lodge of Saint Peter for his planetary message of peace, and, as he explored the pains of the world, he could only begin this year from “Israel and Palestine, where war shakes the lives of those populations,” sighing: ” I embrace you all, in particular the Christian communities of Gaza and the entire Holy Land. I carry in my heart the pain for the victims of the atrocious attack of October 7 and I renew an urgent call for the release of those who continue to be held hostage. I call for an end to military operations, with their terrible consequences of innocent civilian victims, and for a remedy to be put to the desperate humanitarian situation by opening the door to the arrival of aid.. “That violence and hatred should not continue to be promoted, but that a solution to the Palestinian issue be found, through sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties, backed by firm political will and the support of the international community.”
On the day of Jesus' birth, “the eyes and hearts of Christians around the world are directed to Bethlehem: there, where pain and silence reign these days, the announcement that has been expected for centuries resounds: 'You have born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord'”. Francis focused first and foremost on the innocent: “In Scripture, the Prince of Peace opposes the 'prince of this world' who, by sowing death, acts against the Lord, the 'lover of life.'. We see it in action in Bethlehem when, after the birth of the Savior, the slaughter of the innocents takes place.. How many massacres of innocent people in the world: in the womb, on the routes of the desperate in search of hope, in the lives of so many children whose childhood is devastated by war. “They are the little Jesuses of today.”
Therefore, “to say 'yes' to the Prince of Peace is to say 'no' to war, to all war, to the very logic of war, a path without a goal, defeat without winners, madness without excuses,” exclaimed the Pope. , who insisted: “But to say 'no' to war we must say 'no' to weapons. Because if the man, whose heart is unstable and wounded, finds in his hands instruments of death, sooner or later he will use them. And how can we talk about peace if the production, sale and trade of weapons increase?”.
Francisco's denunciation against the arms trade was especially harsh. At the same time, he did not hesitate to go beyond Israel and Palestine and took stock and reflected on the situation throughout the planet: “My thoughts are with the people of tormented Syria, as well as with those of Yemen who continue to suffer.”. I think of the beloved Lebanese people and pray that they soon regain political and social stability.. With my eyes fixed on the Child Jesus I implore peace for Ukraine. And may the day of definitive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan approach, favoring the continuation of humanitarian initiatives, the return of the displaced to their homes in conditions of legality and security, and the reciprocal respect for religious traditions and places of worship in each community”.
The Pope then invited us not to forget “the tensions and conflicts that disturb the Sahel region, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, as well as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. And may the day come when fraternal ties on the Korean Peninsula are strengthened, opening paths of dialogue and reconciliation that can create the conditions for lasting peace.”
And he continued: “May the Son of God inspire the political authorities and all men of good will on the American continent, so that adequate solutions are found to overcome social and political disagreements, fight against forms of poverty that offend the dignity of people, smooth out inequalities and confront the painful phenomenon of migration”.
As a farewell, Jorge Bergoglio took the opportunity to talk about the Jubilee. “The time of grace and hope of the Jubilee is approaching, which will begin in a year. Let this period of preparation be an opportunity to say 'no' to war and 'yes' to peace; to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to slaves and release to prisoners.”