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The Pope offered his message to some 6,500 faithful who attended the traditional service
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The Pope today called for peace as he began Christmas celebrations with a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica as the war between Israel and Hamas rages in the Gaza Strip.
“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once again rejected by the useless logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding a place in the world,” the Pope said. to about 6,500 faithful. who attended the traditional service.
Francis’ speech never mentioned Israel or Gaza by name, but made numerous references to violence and war, arguing that justice would not come “from a show of force.”
The pontiff affirmed that Jesus “does not eliminate injustice from above with a show of force, but from below, with a show of love.”
“He doesn’t burst onto the scene with unlimited power,” he said, speaking in Italian with an official translation in seven languages.
Pope Francis presides over the Christmas Eve mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on December 24, 2023
Pope Francis (right) greets a child as he leads the Christmas midnight mass on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, December 24, 2023.
Pope Francis (R) leads the Midnight Christmas Mass on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, December 24, 2023.
During his weekly Angelus prayer today, the Pope said that “we are close to our brothers and sisters who suffer from war; we are thinking about Palestine, about Israel, about Ukraine.”
On Christmas Day, the pontiff will lead the traditional “Urbi and Orbi” prayer at 11:00 GMT, during which he usually mentions conflicts around the world.
A new document explains a radical shift in Vatican policy, insisting that faithful seeking God’s love and mercy should not be subject to “exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it.
A Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 left around 1,140 people dead, most of them civilians.
Pope Francis presides over the Christmas Eve mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Sunday, December 24, 2023
Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on December 24, 2023.
Palestinian terrorists also kidnapped about 250 people, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza.
Israel responded with sustained bombing and a ground invasion of Gaza, where 20,424 people have died, mostly women and children, according to the latest balance sheet from the Ministry of Health of the Hamas-run territory.
The Pope has frequently denounced attacks against civilians in the ongoing conflict.