Pope Francis calls for “weapons silence” in Ukraine hit by a “senseless war”

Pope Francis wondered this Sunday “quiet the guns” in Ukraine, a country affected by a “silly war”during his traditional Christmas message, and recalled yet other regions where conflicts rage.

“May our gaze filled with the faces of Ukrainian brothers and sisterswho live this Christmas in the dark, outdoors or far from their homes, due to the destruction caused by ten months of war”, declared the Argentine pope in his Christmas message in St. Peter’s Square.

“May the Lord prepare us to make concrete gestures of solidarity to help those who suffer, and enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the weapons and immediately put an end to this senseless war”. faithful gathered in the famous Vatican square, some with Ukrainian flags.

“Unfortunately we prefer to listen to other reasons, dictated by the logic of the world”, added the Supreme Pontiff, noting “with pain that […] The raw winds of war continue to blow on humanity.”.

Other countries

Pope Francis, 86, has been making a tireless plea for peace since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Before pronouncing the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, the Pope reviewed the conflicts shaking the world, which he does habitually, citing ten countries affected by the violence or the tensions, which he described as “scenarios of this third world war”.

Among these, Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Yemen, Syria, Burma, Lebanon –struck by a serious economic and social crisis– and Haiti, where this year, according to the UN, more than 1,400 people died violently.

For the first time the Pope mentioned Iranrocked by a wave of protests unprecedented since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which has resulted in more than 14,000 arrests since mid-September, according to the United Nations, and 469 protesters killed, according to Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights.

Also called Pope Francis do not use food “as a weapon”, alluding to the conflicts ravaging the entire Horn of Africa.

Hunger

“Every war – we know – causes hunger and uses food itself as a weapon, preventing its distribution to peoples who are already suffering. On this day, learning from the Prince of Peace, let us all commit ourselves – above all those with political responsibilities – so that food is nothing more than an instrument of peace,” he said.

About 7,000 people attended Saturday night at a Christmas Eve mass presided over by the pope in St. Peter’s Basilica, according to the Vatican.

The Pope, who uses a wheelchair for knee pain, prayed for the “children devoured by wars, poverty and injustice” and lamented that “men (…) hungry for power and money, in the same way devour their neighbors, their brothers”.

In the face of this “consumerism”, the pontiff invited take “distance from that worldly scene” and rediscover the meaning of Christmas, through a charitable Church at the service of the poor.

“It is very inspiring to be here with all these people. We are happy and excited to see the pope, even if we are far away, and to feel this connection between us,” Victoria Machado, 19, who came from Mexico with her mother, told the AFP family.

Like her, around 4,000 people who didn’t receive tickets followed the celebration on giant screens installed outside.

Source: AFP

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