Pope Francis calls for “silencing the guns worldwide” and appeals for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan in his Christmas address, while denouncing the “extremely serious” humanitarian situation in Gaza.
On Wednesday, he used his traditional message to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics to call for talks for a just peace in Ukraine as the country came under fire from 170 Russian missiles and drones on Christmas morning, in what Kiev described as “inhumane.” .
In a breathless voice, the 88-year-old Pope also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the Israeli hostages held there by Hamas.
In Sednaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to watch the lighting of a towering tree decorated with glowing green lights.
The celebration offered a rare moment of joy in a city scarred by more than a decade of war and its notorious prison where tens of thousands of people were held and tortured. Families and friends stood by the illuminated tree – some wearing Santa hats, others watching from rooftops – as a band played festive music and fireworks lit up the sky.
Meanwhile, a snowstorm in the Balkans on Tuesday left motorists gridlocked and power lines down, but some saw the beauty in it.
“Actually, I’m happy that it’s going down,” said driver Mirsad Jasarevic in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We haven’t had snow at Christmas here for 17 years, and now it’s time for a wonderful, white Christmas.”
