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The leader of the Catholic Church worldwide, Pope Francis, has called for dialogue between Ukraine and Russia in order to end the war that Russia started attacking Ukraine in 2022.
Speaking on Christmas Day, the Pope said “courage [was] necessary to open the door” to dialogue “to find a just and lasting peace” between the two sides.
His request followed Russia’s biggest attack on the same day on Ukraine’s energy sectorwhich Ukraine said involved at least 184 missiles and drones.
Earlier this year, Ukraine strongly rejected the pope’s call for Kyiv to discuss an end to the war and have “the courage to raise the white flag”.
His Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message also touched off other controversies.
Addressing thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square, the 88-year-old Pope said: “Let the sound of weapons be silenced in war-torn Ukraine,” and beyond.
“I call every person, and all people of all races… to be pilgrims of hope, stop the sound of weapons and overcome divisions,” he said.
Repeating the Christmas message he gave last year, Pope Francis also called for an end to Gaza and the release of those held hostage by Hamas.
“I think about the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, where it is very dangerous,” he said.
He requested that “the doors of dialogue and peace be opened”.
The war in Gaza began when the local government of Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. The forces killed around 1,200 people and took 251 back to Gaza as hostages. More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said.
Earlier this week, the Pope twice described Israeli attacks as “brutal”, drawing sharp criticism from Israel who called the words “particularly offensive”.
The leader of the Catholic Church worldwide, Pope Francis, has said that his thoughts are with the Christians of Lebanon and Syria, where terrorists recently overthrew the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad after ruling for 24 years. The number of Christians in Syria has decreased since the war began in 2011. and reports indicate that it is now at a little over a pre-war level of around 1.5 million.
Minorities in Syria have expressed fear for their future in the country since Islamist militants took over the country – although the leading terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has said all religions will be protected.
