Pope Francis requested to pray especially this Christmas for the static peace in some countries and regions of the world.
The Holy Father said this before his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city of Rome and the world) in his traditional Christmas Message from him.
“While the announcement of the birth of the Savior, the source of true peace, resounds around us and throughout the world, we still see many conflicts, crises and contradictions. They seem to never end and almost go unnoticed. We have become so habituated 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, ”the Pope warned.
Along these lines, the Holy Father prayed to the Lord 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 the cultural values Of all human beings ”.
In addition, the Pope asked for Syria that “for more than a decade there has been a war that has caused many victims and an incalculable number of refugees.”
He also prayed for Iraq “which after a long conflict still has difficulty getting up.”
“Let us hear the cry of the children that rises from Yemen, where an enormous tragedy, forgotten by all, has been perpetrating in silence for years, causing deaths every day.”
Then, the Pontiff recalled the tensions between Israel and Palestine “that continue without solution, with increasing social and political consequences” and asked not to forget Bethlehem “the place where Jesus saw the light, which lives difficult times, also because of the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic, which prevents pilgrims from reaching the Holy Land, with negative effects on the life of the population ”.
Pope Francis mentioned Lebanon too “suffering an unprecedented crisis with very worrying economic and social conditions.”
The Pope prayed to the Child Jesus to grant “peace and harmony to the Middle East and the whole world.”
“Support all those who are engaged in humanitarian assistance to populations that are forced to flee their homeland; He consoles the Afghan people, who for more than 40 years have been harshly tested by conflicts that have forced many to leave the country, ”he said.
Also, the Pope invoked the King of nations to help “the political authorities to pacify societies devastated by tensions and conflicts.”
He remembered the people of Myanmar specifically “where intolerance and violence also frequently hit the Christian community and places of worship, and overshadow the peaceful face of its people.”
“Be light and support for those who believe and work in favor of encounter and dialogue, even going against the current, and do not allow the metastasis of a gangrenous conflict to spread in Ukraine,” he pointed out.
In this regard, the Holy Father asked the Prince of Peace to intercede for Ethiopia “so that it may once again find the path of reconciliation and peace through sincere debate, that it put the demands of the population first.”
“He Hears the cry of the peoples of the Sahel region, who suffer the violence of international terrorism. Direct your gaze to the peoples of the North African countries who suffer from divisions, unemployment and economic inequality, and alleviate the sufferings of many brothers and sisters who suffer from the internal conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan ” the Pope prayed.
Finally, the Holy Father recalled the sign of hope that consists in the fact that the Son of God “became flesh. He came in human form, shared our dramas, and broke the wall of our indifference. In the cold of the night he extends his little arms towards us, he is in need of everything, but he comes to give us everything ”.
“On this feast day we implore you to awaken in our hearts longings for reconciliation and brotherhood. We direct our supplication to Him ”, the Pope invited.