Pope in Christmas Day message calls for talks to end Ukraine-Russia war

Speaking to thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square, the 88-year-old Pope declared: “May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine,” and beyond.

“I invite every individual, and all people of all nations… to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions,” he said.

Reiterating the Christmas Day message he delivered last year, Pope Francis also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the freeing of hostages held by Hamas.

“I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” he said.

He asked that “the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open”.

The war in Gaza began after the territory’s Hamas rulers attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. Gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took another 251 back to Gaza as hostages. More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says.

Earlier this week, the Pope twice described Israel’s attacks as “cruelty”, earning a sharp rebuke from Israel which called the remarks “particularly disappointing”.

Pope Francis also said his thoughts were with the Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria, where rebels recently overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after 24 years in power. Syria’s Christian population has dwindled since the start of the war in 2011, and reports suggest it now stands at a fraction of its pre-war total of approximately 1.5 million.

Syria’s minorities have expressed fear about their future in the country since Islamist rebels took over – though the leading rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has said all faiths will be protected.