Urbi et Orbi: Pope Francis gives Christmas blessing and calls for peace

Spread the love

Read Time:2 Minute, 29 Second

With a moving Christmas message and the traditional Christmas blessing “Urbi et Orbi,” Pope Francis called for global peace on Christmas Day. He expressed concern about numerous trouble spots, including Ukraine and the Middle East wars.

38,000 faithful at Christmas mass
After the Pope opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday evening, ushering in the Holy Year 2025, Francis read his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday. From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the head of around 1.4 billion Catholics blessed Urbi et Orbi (to the city of Rome and the entire world). The pontiff condemned the world’s wars and conflicts in his address and recalled humanity’s suffering.

Pope Francis condemns wars around the world
The Pope called for peace efforts in Ukraine. “Let the guns fall silent in martyred Ukraine! Have the courage to open the door to negotiations and gestures of dialogue and encounter to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the Pope emphasized.

Francis also called for a ceasefire in the Middle East. “Let there be a ceasefire, let the hostages be released, and let the population, worn down by hunger and war, be provided for,” said Francis. He is also close to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially those in the south. “Let the doors of dialogue and peace open in the region torn apart by conflict. And at this point, I would also like to think of the Libyan people and encourage them to seek solutions that make national reconciliation possible,” said the Pope.

Francis also expressed his concern about the many trouble spots in Africa. For example, he expressed his concern about the measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the devastating effects of climate change, which are leading to the loss of human life and the flight of millions of people.

Christmas message and Urbi et Orbi blessing Highlights of the Christian Christmas celebration
The Christmas message and the Urbi et Orbi blessing are highlights of the Christian Christmas celebrations. Francis began the Christmas celebrations on Tuesday evening with a procession to the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica. In a solemn ceremony on Christmas Eve, the 88-year-old pontiff, who was in a wheelchair, opened the Holy Door, which is walled up from the inside outside during the Holy Year, and passed through it. The bronze door is only opened on the occasion of the Holy Year. The right-wing nationalist Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also participated in the ceremony. 30,000 pilgrims watched the mass on screens in St. Peter’s Square.

Following the attack in Magdeburg last Friday, the Italian Ministry of the Interior tightened anti-terrorist controls in Rome and around the Vatican. The police increasingly use sniffer dogs and video equipment to ensure the celebrations run smoothly. Thousands of carabinieri, police officers, and soldiers have been deployed in Rome to monitor subway stations, train stations, and airports.