Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In his traditional Christmas address, the pope said “boldness is needed to open the door” to dialogue “to achieve a just and lasting peace” between the two sides.
His calling followed On the same day, there was a major Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy facilitiesAccording to Ukraine, there were at least 184 missiles and drones.
Earlier this year, Ukraine firmly rejected a call from the Pope for Kiev to negotiate an end to the war and “have the courage to raise the white flag.”
His message “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) also touched on other conflicts.
The 88-year-old pope told thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square: “May the noise of weapons in war-torn Ukraine and beyond fall silent.”
“I invite each individual and all people of all nations to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the noise of weapons and overcome divisions,” he said.
Pope Francis reiterated the Christmas message he delivered last year and also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
“I am thinking of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious,” he said.
He called for “the doors of dialogue and peace to be opened.”
The war in Gaza began after the Hamas rulers there attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Gunmen killed about 1,200 people and brought another 251 back to Gaza as hostages. According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive.
Earlier this week, the pope twice described Israel’s attacks as “atrocity,” drawing a sharp rebuke from Israel, which called the remarks “particularly disappointing.”
Pope Francis also said his thoughts were with the Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria, where rebels recently toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after 24 years in power. Syria’s Christian population has declined since the war began in 2011 and is now reportedly a fraction of its pre-war figure of around 1.5 million.
Syria’s minorities have expressed fears for their future in the country since Islamist rebels seized power – although the leading rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has said all faiths will be protected.
