Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In his traditional Christmas address, the Pope said that “boldness is necessary to open the door” to dialogue “in order to achieve a just and lasting peace” between the two sides.
His plea followed Major Russian attack on the same day on energy facilities in UkraineWhich Ukraine said included at least 184 missiles and drones.
Earlier this year, Ukraine strongly rejected the Pope's call for Kiev to negotiate an end to the war and have the “courage to raise the white flag.”
His letter Urbi et Orbi (For the City and the World) also touched on other conflicts.
Speaking to thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square, the 88-year-old pope declared: “Let the sound of weapons be silenced in war-torn Ukraine” and beyond.
“I call on every individual and all people of all nations… to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the voices of weapons and overcome divisions,” he said.
Pope Francis repeated the Christmas message he delivered last year, and also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
He said: “I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very serious.”
He called for “opening the doors of dialogue and peace.”
The war in Gaza began after Hamas rulers in the Strip attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others to Gaza hostage. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 45,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli attack.
Earlier this week, the Pope twice described Israeli attacks as “brutal,” drawing a sharp rebuke from Israel, which called the remarks “particularly disappointing.”
Pope Francis also said his thoughts are with Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria, where rebels recently ousted 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 indicate that they now stand at a fraction of their pre-war total of about 1.5 million.
Syrian minorities have expressed fear about their future in the country since Islamist rebels took control of the country, although the main opposition group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, has said all religions will be protected.
