World experiences ‘serious lack of peace’ as Pope Francis celebrates Christmas

Pope Francis used his Christmas blessing this Sunday (25) to make another appeal to advocate for peace around the world.

In his message “Urbi et Orbi” (To the city and the world) given in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, the leader of the Catholic Church reminded the conflicts in Ukraine as well as the crises in countries such as Syria. Yemen, Iran and Myanmar.

“Our time is in a serious lack of peace,” he said, adding that the planet was the scene of a partial “third world war”; .

Continuing his almost daily calls for the last 10 months, the Pope was the first to mention the war in Europe in his message.

Let us look upon the faces of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are living this Christmas in the dark, in the cold, or away from their own homes, due to the devastation wrought by the 10-month war. May God prepare us for concrete gestures of solidarity to help the suffering and enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the guns and put an immediate end to this senseless war.
Pope Francis at the Blessing of Christmas

Francis also underlined the spillover effects of the conflict in Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain producers, which is struggling to sell its crops and causing global food prices to rise.

“Think of people who are starving, especially children, as huge amounts of food are wasted every day and resources are wasted on weapons. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated the situation and put the entire population, especially Ukraine, at risk of famine. Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. countries”, he called for food to be “only an instrument of peace”.

the world is in crisis

In his message, the Pope also referred to the civil war that has shaken the Arab country for nearly 12 years, reminding Syria that “was lost in the background but still martyred in a never ending conflict”.

Francis also wished that Lebanon, affected by successive economic and political crises, could “rise with the support of the international community” and expressed concern over the conflicts and tensions in Yemen and the Sahel, an arid belt south of the desert. The Sahara and the phase of jihadist activities.

The Pope also called for reconciliation for the Holy Land, where “violence and conflict have escalated and deaths and injuries have occurred in recent months”. “Let us beg you to resume the search for dialogue and mutual trust between Israelis and Palestinians in the land of your birth,” he said.

Francis later called for “bloodshed” in Iran, which has been shaken by the violent suppression of women’s rights protests, and in Myanmar, an Asian country that has been in crisis since the military coup in February 2021.

The Catholic leader recalled “political and social tensions” in the Americas, “mainly the Haitian population that has suffered for a very long time”.