Pope Francis, in his Christmas message, has urged for dialogue between Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war that has followed Moscow’s full-scale invasion two years ago, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
During his Christmas Day “Urbi et Orbi” address, Pope Francis addressed the Ukraine conflict specifically, calling for “the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation”.
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to the thousands gathered in the square below, the pope proclaimed: “May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine!”
He further emphasized the need for “gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously dismissed the possibility of peace talks without the restoration of Ukraine’s pre-war borders.
However, since Donald Trump’s re-election as US president, Mr. Zelensky has displayed a growing openness to negotiations.
Earlier in December, Mr. Zelensky proposed the concept of a diplomatic resolution that would include a “freezing” of the current frontlines and the stationing of foreign troops in Ukraine.
Russia has insisted that Ukraine renounce its aspirations to join the NATO military alliance.
The 88-year-old Pope Francis, marking the 12th Christmas of his papacy, called for an end to conflicts—political, social, or military—in regions such as Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Gaza situation ‘extremely grave’
Pope Francis, who has recently become more critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and referred to it last week as “cruelty”, also reiterated his plea for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict and called for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “extremely grave” and urged that “the doors of dialogue and peace (be) flung open”.
The Israeli-Hamas war commenced on 7 October 2023, following an attack by Hamas-led Palestinian militants on southern Israeli communities, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of over 250 hostages taken back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials.
Israel’s retaliation campaign, aimed at dismantling Hamas, has claimed over 45,000 lives, primarily civilians, according to Gaza authorities. This campaign has left nearly the entire population displaced and much of the enclave in ruins.
Pope Francis inaugurated a Holy Year for the global Catholic Church on Christmas Eve, which will continue until 6 January 2026. This Catholic Holy Year, also referred to as a Jubilee, is regarded as a period of peace, forgiveness, and pardon.
The pope stated that the Jubilee year should serve as a time for “every individual, and all peoples and nations… to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions”.
Pope Francis also mentioned that this year should be a moment “to tear down all walls of separation”.
He called for a “mutually agreed solution” to dismantle the border wall that has divided the Mediterranean island of Cyprus between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since 1974.
