In his Christmas message, Francis says no to the ‘mindset of war’, yes to the ‘Prince of peace’
In the Urbi et Orbi, the pontiff spoke out against “the slaughter of the innocents”: those in “their mothers’ wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war.” Once again he called for the release of hostages and an end to the bombing of Gaza. He also turned his thoughts to people displaced from Nagorno Karabakh, an expressed hope for peace “on the Korean peninsula”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis delivered his traditional midday "Urbi et Orbi" blessing for Christmas Day from the Loggia of Blessings in St Peter's Basilica.
Amid the tragedy of ongoing wars, the pontiff asked: “how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?” In view of this, he urged the faithful and the world to choose "the Prince of Peace" born in Bethlehem, against the one Scripture calls "the ruler of this world" (Jn 12:31) who, by sowing death, goes against the Lord, "the lover of life".
“We see this played out in Bethlehem, where the birth of the Saviour is followed by the slaughter of the innocents. How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world! In their mothers’ wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war.
For Francis, saying "yes" to the Prince of Peace means saying "no" to war, “to every war and to do so with courage, to the very mindset of war, an aimless voyage, a defeat without victors, an inexcusable folly. To say ‘no’ to war means saying ‘no’ to weaponry. The human heart is weak and impulsive; if we find instruments of death in our hands, sooner or later we will use them.”
“Today, as at the time of Herod, the evil that opposes God’s light hatches its plots in the shadows of hypocrisy and concealment. How much violence and killing takes place amid deafening silence, unbeknownst to many!
“People, who desire not weapons but bread, who struggle to make ends meet and desire only peace, have no idea how many public funds are being spent on arms. Yet that is something they ought to know! It should be talked about and written about, so as to bring to light the interests and the profits that move the puppet-strings of war.”
Citing Isaiah's prophecy that “nation shall not lift up sword against nation”, Francis expressed hope that the day of peace may “come in Israel and Palestine, where war is devastating the lives of those peoples.
“I embrace them all, particularly the Christian communities of Gaza, the parish of Gaza, and the entire Holy Land. My heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of 7 October last, and I reiterate my urgent appeal for the liberation of those still being held hostage.”
“I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid. May there be an end to the fuelling of violence and hatred. And may the Palestinian question come to be resolved through sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community.
Turning to the world, the pontiff said: “My thoughts turn likewise to the people of war-torn Syria, and to those of long-suffering Yemen. I think too of the beloved Lebanese people, and I pray that political and social stability will soon be attained.
“Contemplating the Baby Jesus, I implore peace for Ukraine. Let us renew our spiritual and human closeness to its embattled people, so that through the support of each of us, they may feel the concrete reality of God’s love.
“May the day of definitive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan draw near. May it be advanced by the pursuit of humanitarian initiatives, by the return of refugees to their homes in legality and security, and by reciprocal respect for religious traditions and the places of worship of each community.”
Similarly, “May the day draw near when fraternal bonds will be consolidated on the Korean peninsula by undertaking processes of dialogue and reconciliation capable of creating the conditions for lasting peace.”
“From the manger, the Child Jesus asks us to be the voice of those who have no voice. The voice of the innocent children who have died for lack of bread and water; the voice of those who cannot find work or who have lost their jobs; the voice of those forced to flee their lands in search of a better future, risking their lives in gruelling journeys and prey to unscrupulous traffickers.”
Lastly, Francis mentioned the Jubilee that will open in a year's time. “May this time of preparation for the Holy Year be an opportunity for the conversion of hearts, for the rejection of war and the embrace of peace, and for joyfully responding to the Lord’s call, in the words of Isaiah’s prophecy, ‘to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners’.”
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