Prior to the traditional Christmas blessing, urbi et orbi, Pope Francis called for an end to all armed conflicts that hit different regions, especially the war between the Israeli Army against Hamas in Gaza, which leaves thousands of civilians dead. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The highest representative of the Vatican harshly criticized the public spending carried out by countries on weapons. In addition, he urged America's political leaders to seek solutions to the immigration crises.
From the balcony of the central loggia of the façade of St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis gave a forceful speech this December 25, before the 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing, in which he asked for an end to wars and was critical against the manufacture of weapons and the governments that allocate significant sums of money to the purchase of these elements.
“To say no to war it is necessary to say no to weapons. Because if the man, whose heart is unstable and wounded, finds instruments of death in his hands, sooner or later he will use them. And how can we talk about peace “if the production, sale and trade of weapons increase?” argued the highest authority of the Catholic Church.
Francis was harsh when questioning the spending of public funds by countries on weapons and maintained that “the people, who do not want weapons, but bread, who find it difficult to move forward and ask for peace, do not know how much public funds are allocated to weapons. And yet they should know!”
Talk about this so that the benefits that pull the strings of wars are known
The Vatican leader added that many “massacres due to weapons” occur “in a deafening silence, hidden from everyone.”
Along the same lines, the pontiff asked “that this be talked about, that this be written about, so that the interests and benefits that move the strings of wars are known.”
The speech of the highest representative of the Holy See was harsh when he denounced the arms industry, describing it as “merchants of death” and warned that current wars, like the one in Ukraine, in particular, are developed to test new weapons or exhaust old ones. arsenals.
Gaza and Ukraine, at the center of the pope's requests
The armed conflict between the Israeli Army and the Islamist group Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, took up much of the Pope's speech, while the number of Palestinians killed by the bombings continues to increase: more than 20,420 people, the majority civilians. , have lost their lives in the enclave, according to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health, issued on December 24.
In that sense, Francis asked that peace “come to Israel and Palestine, where war shakes the lives of those populations” and pleaded that “military operations cease, with their dramatic consequences of innocent civilian victims.”
Without directly mentioning Hamas, the pontiff also condemned the group's attack against southern Israel and noted that he carries “in his heart the pain for the victims of the execrable attack on October 7,” which triggered the escalation of the conflict. At the same time, Francis called for the release of people kidnapped by the movement that controls Gaza.
“I reiterate my urgent call for the release of those who remain hostages. I call for an end to military operations with their terrible harvest of innocent civilian victims and I ask for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by opening up the provision of humanitarian aid.” , stated the Pope.
Furthermore, he asked that peace “come to Israel and Palestine, where war shakes the lives of those populations” and added: “I embrace both, in particular the Christian communities of Gaza, the parish of Gaza, and the entire Holy Land “.
On the other hand, Francis asked for “peace for Ukraine” and called to renew “our spiritual and human closeness to its besieged people.”
This is the first Christmas celebrated by Ukraine, invaded by Kremlin troops almost two years ago, which leaves aside the traditional Orthodox date of January 7, which is celebrated in Russia.
“Be the voice of those who have no voice”: Francis asks for a solution to the immigration crisis
The top leader of the Catholic Church asked to confront the immigration crisis in America, with a special request to the region's politicians.
In that sense, Francis called to be the voice “of those who have no voice: the innocent, dead for lack of water and bread; voice of those who cannot find work or have lost it; voice of those who are forced to flee their own homeland in search of a better future, risking their lives on exhausting trips and at the mercy of unscrupulous traffickers”.
Meanwhile, he insisted on a special message for the rulers of the Americas and asked for inspiration to “find suitable solutions that lead to overcoming social and political dissension, to fighting against forms of poverty that offend the dignity of people, to resolving inequalities and to confront the painful phenomenon of migrations”.
In addition, the pope called for the resolution of other conflicts brewing in the Middle East, Africa and the Caucasus.
Francis asked for definitive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with favorable results that achieve the return of the displaced to their homes. And he called not to forget “the tensions and conflicts that disturb the regions of the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and Sudan, as well as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan” and “may the day come when fraternal ties on the Korean Peninsula are consolidated, opening avenues for dialogue and reconciliation.”
With AFP, AP and EFE
#weapons #39Urbi #Orbi39 #blessing #Pope #speaks #wars #Gaza #Ukraine