“Child Jesus, grant peace and concord to the Middle East and the whole world,” asked the Supreme Pontiff from St. Peter’s Basilica when giving the Urbi et Orbi (To Rome and the world) traditional Christmas blessing.
In a message in which he asked for several open conflicts in the world, the Pope regretted that “in the international sphere there is the risk of not wanting to dialogue, the risk that the complexity of the crisis will induce to choose shortcuts, instead of the slower paths of dialogue; but these are, in reality, the only ones that lead to the resolution of conflicts and shared and lasting benefits ”.
Thus, Jorge Bergoglio regretted that there are “many conflicts, crises and contradictions” that “seem to never end and almost go unnoticed”.
“We have become so accustomed that immense tragedies are already overlooked; We run the risk of not hearing the cries of pain and despair of many of our brothers and sisters, ”he lamented.
The Pope’s message for America
In his ninth Christmas as Pope, Francis wished “that in the hearts of the peoples of the American continent the values of solidarity, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence prevail, through dialogue, reciprocal respect and the recognition of rights and responsibilities. cultural values of all human beings ”.
In an explicit reference to the global situation due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Pope took advantage of the message to ask for “the victims of violence against women that is spreading in this time of pandemic”, as well as also dedicated a message “to the children and adolescents victims of intimidation and abuse ”.
After reiterating his requests so that “the most appropriate solutions are found to help overcome the health crisis and its consequences”, Francisco insisted once again with the claim to “deliver the necessary assistance, especially vaccines, to the poorest populations ”.
In this context, he did not forget to recall “the drama of the emigrants, the displaced and the refugees”.
When visiting several of the open conflicts in the world for which the Holy See remains concerned, Francis lamented the situation of the “Syrian people, who for more than a decade have lived through a war that has caused many victims and an incalculable number of refugees. ”.
“Let’s look at Iraq, which after a long conflict still has difficulty getting up,” he later recalled about the country he visited in March this year.
After protesting again for the “enormous tragedy forgotten by all” in Yemen, the Pope asked to recall “the continuous tensions between Israelis and Palestinians that continue without solution, with increasing social and political consequences.”
Among the problems in the Middle East, he also included Lebanon, which he aspires to visit in 2022, and regretted that the so-called “Country of Cedars” suffers “an unprecedented crisis with very worrying economic and social conditions”
Thus, Bergoglio also indicated his request for support “to all those who are committed to humanitarian assistance to populations that are forced to flee their homeland”, in particular to the “Afghan people, who for more than forty years have been hard tested by conflicts that force many to leave the country ”.
In addition to reviewing the tensions in the Middle East, the Pope made a request that “the political authorities” of the world can “pacify societies devastated by tensions and conflicts.” Along these lines, he called for dialogue in Myanmar and demanded that “the metastasis of a gangrenous conflict” that is shaking the European country does not spread in Ukraine.
The Pope’s requests also ran through various conflicts in Africa, including Ethiopia, and a general wish for “the Sahel region, which suffers from the violence of international terrorism.”
Francis also raised his thoughts for “the peoples of the North African countries that suffer because of divisions, unemployment and economic inequality”, and wished the end of “the internal conflicts of Sudan and South Sudan” where wants to travel next year.
Beyond the conflicts, the Pope also took the opportunity to renew his environmental commitment and asked that “the political authorities” can “reach effective agreements so that the next generations can live in an environment that is respectful for life.”
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