Spanish
Vatican City.- Pope Leo XIV asked this Thursday for «justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria», and that «the courage to dialogue in a sincere, direct and respectful manner» be found to end the war in Ukraine, in his first Christmas message before the ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing.
Looking out from the balcony of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, where he was presented as the new pontiff on May 8, Robert Prevost stated that "each of us can and must do what is appropriate to reject hatred, violence and confrontation, and to practice dialogue, peace and reconciliation."Your First Christmas as a Dad
And in his message for his first Christmas as pope, before thousands of people who came to St. Peter's Square despite the rain, the pontiff of American and Peruvian origin wanted to send a special greeting "to all Christians living in the Middle East", recalling his recent trip to Lebanon. "I have heard your fears and I am well aware of your feeling of powerlessness in the face of the power dynamics that overwhelm you," he added and then asked God for "justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria." And he urged to pray "especially for the afflicted Ukrainian people, so that the roar of weapons ceases and the parties involved, with the support of the international community, find the courage to dialogue in a sincere, direct and respectful manner". He entrusted "to the Prince of Peace the entire European continent", asking "that he continue to inspire a community and collaborative spirit, faithful to its Christian roots and its history, supportive and welcoming to those in need".Peace also for forgotten wars
The Pope implored "peace and comfort for the victims of all the wars being fought in the world, especially those forgotten; and for those who suffer because of injustice, political instability, religious persecution and terrorism", and cited Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo.And may the baby Jesus inspire those who have political responsibilities in Latin America so that, when facing the numerous challenges, space is given to dialogue for the common good and not to ideological and partisan exclusions. In their requests was also the situation in Burma and the restoration of the old friendship between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as the "recent and devastating natural disasters" in South Asia and Oceania. According to the Pope, Jesus "takes upon himself our fragility, identifies with each of us: with those who no longer have anything and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza" or "with those who suffer hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people." He remembered "those who flee their land in search of a future elsewhere, like the numerous refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or travel through the American continent; with those who have lost their jobs and with those who are looking for them." And to "so many young people who have difficulty finding employment; with those who are exploited, like the countless underpaid workers; with those who are in prison and often live in inhumane conditions".He also called for an end to all forms of violence in Haiti and for it to move forward on the path of peace and reconciliation:
He concluded by assuring that "the Birth of the Lord is the Birth of peace" and wishing everyone "from the heart a serene Christmas".
A poem by an Israeli writer
The Pope included in his message a poem by the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai entitled "Wild Peace" in which he describes peace "not that of a ceasefire nor that of the vision of the wolf next to the lamb, but that of the heart when the agitation ends and we speak of great weariness".
"May it be like wildflowers, suddenly, by the need of the field: a wild peace", he quoted.
Remembering Refugees
Before the blessing, Leo XIV remembered the suffering of the inhabitants of Gaza and that of the displaced and refugees on every continent, as well as that of the thousands of homeless people in the cities, in the homily of the Christmas mass that was celebrated again in St. Peter's Basilica after more than 30 years. In this Christmas mass, which the pontiffs had not celebrated since 1994, Leo XIV stated: "Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others" and of the most fragile.And faced with this, the American pontiff asked: «And how not to think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to the rain, wind and cold, and of those of so many other displaced and refugees on every continent, or in the improvised shelters of thousands of homeless people in our cities?»
And he added: "Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tested by so many ongoing or ended wars leaving debris and open wounds." «Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms who, being at the front, notice the foolishness of what is asked of them and the lie that permeates the bombastic speeches of those who send them to die», added Robert Prevost. "Only when the fragility of others pierces our hearts, when the pain of others shatters our solid certainties, then peace begins," he assured. "The peace of God is born from a welcomed sob, from a cry heard; it is born among ruins that cry out for a new solidarity, it is born from dreams and visions that, like prophecies, reverse the course of history," he said. He also indicated that "Christmas once again motivates a missionary Church, driving it along paths that the Word of God has traced for it." "We are not at the service of a presumptuous word, these already resonate everywhere, but of a presence that elicits good, that knows its effectiveness, that does not claim the monopoly," he added about the mission of the Church. And he asserted: "There will be peace when our monologues are interrupted and, fertilized by listening, we fall to our knees before the naked flesh of others." After the mass, the Pope will appear on the facade of the St. Peter's Basilica for the Christmas message and the 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing.
