Pope Francis gave the traditional Christmas greeting and Urbi et orbi blessing in the Vatican.
12:38•Updated 13:40
In his Christmas greeting, the Pope Francis took a direct stand on the war in Ukraine, which he described as “absurd”.
– May God guide us to offer concrete demonstrations of solidarity and help all those who suffer. May He enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and immediately end this senseless war, the Pope said.
In his greeting, the Pope also condemned “using food as a weapon” and stated that the war in Ukraine threatens to cause famine in many nations.
The Pope gave his traditional Christmas greeting and gave the Urbi et orbi blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Christmas Day’s Urbi et orbi, or To the City and the World, is another of the Pope’s traditional holiday blessings. The other is given by the Pope at Easter.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Church Square to listen to the Pope’s Christmas greeting and blessing. The Pope is the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics in the world.
In his previous Christmas greetings, Pope Francis has urged people to work towards resolving conflicts and strive for peace and cooperation.
Yesterday, Saturday, the Pope also held the traditional Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Church. In his Mass, the Pope condemned people’s endless thirst for riches and power.
Source: AFP