Pope Francis on Christmas Day delivered the traditional Urbi et Orbi address and blessing in Vatican City, inviting all individuals and nations to “silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions.”
Delivering his Christmas Day message overlooking crowds of thousands of international pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square from the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope insisted that a “just and lasting peace” can only be achieved in our world if people first turn to the “Father of Mercies.”
“Let us be reconciled with God,” he said. “Then we will be reconciled with ourselves and able to be reconciled with one another, even our enemies.”
“God’s mercy can do all things. It unties every knot. It tears down every wall of division.”
Having opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve to usher in the 2025 Jubilee Year, Pope Francis continued his plea on Wednesday to all people of good will to be “pilgrims of hope.”
“Let’s open to him the doors of our hearts as he has opened to us the doors of his heart,” he said during his Dec. 25 message.
‘Boldness’ needed to negotiate peace in Ukraine and the Middle East
The Holy Father used the address to call on country leaders to “open the door” to dialogue and encounter, voicing his particular concern for vulnerable communities daily impacted by war, violence, and political unrest.
“May the sound of weapons be silenced in Ukraine,” the pope urged. “May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation, and to gestures of dialogue and encounter.”
The Holy Father also reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza and his spiritual closeness with Christian communities spread across Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Libya.
“May the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open throughout the region devastated by conflict!” he said.
Calls for end to ‘scourge of terrorism’ in Africa
The Pope also prayed for a “new season of hope” for populations in the Horn of Africa, Congo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mozambique and Sudan.
“The humanitarian crisis that affects them is caused mainly by armed conflicts and the scourge of terrorism aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change,” he said.
For Sudan, the Holy Father prayed especially that God “sustain the efforts of the international community to facilitate access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population” and for renewed negotiations towards a ceasefire between warring factions.
Respecting the rights and dignity of each person
Drawing upon the theme of “hope,” Francis prayed for political authorities in Myanmar, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Cyprus, to bring back peace in their countries.
“May they work, especially in this jubilee year, to advance the common good and respect the dignity of each person overcoming political divisions,” he said.
“May this jubilee be an opportunity to tear down walls of separation and the ideological walls that so often mark political life,” he added.
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Pope Francis encourages world leaders to pursue “dialogue.” Would this be in the sàme way as Pope Francis pursued dialogue with Cardinal Burke? Would it be the same dialogue he pursued with Bishop Strickland? Would it be the same dialogue he pursued with those he called backwardists? Would it be the same dialogue he pursued with those who preferred to worship God in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass?
Today is the Feast of St. Stephen. Francis would do well to remember the words of the bishop at his own diaconal ordination upon receiving the Book of the Gospels: Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.
I feel your hate.
Gerald, spoken like a true leftist. Congratulations.
And I feel yours Gerald, directed presumptuously towards someone asking perfectly reasonable questions towards a Pope who has demonstrated a great deal of public hatred, towards Catholics no less.
Am I reading this right?
Is Bergoglio apologizing for making the Catholic Mass as it was said for nearly two thousand years an offense?
Dialogue is the way forward. Human beings are made for dialogue. Monologue takes us nowhere.
On the other hand, does a fireman negotiate with the fire?
Glad to see, Dr. Coehlo, that you concur that Pope Francis has been monologueing the Church of Jesus Christ into thousands of little categories.
Are you unaware of the silly usages of the word???? “Dialogue” among billions of people does not exist, cannot exist, and does not mean a thing!! It is a rather juvenile euphemism to excuse the abandonment of non-compromising principles that remain absolute because their truths are divinely endowed.
A tyrannical monologue has been promoted from this pontificate that refuses to listen to objections to heresy from Catholics who are Catholic while exercising a complete absence of irony by taking refuge in proclaiming “dialogue.”
At last, Dr. Cajetan, we agree!
Your ringing admonition of our divisive and hubristic Bergoglio absolutely rings true!
Imagine! He’s been quoted as condemning fellow Christians almost off-handedly as:
“Creed-reciting parrot Christian,” and “asker for certainty in all things,” and “pagan Christian,” and even “little monster.”
In fact there’s an entire website that lists thousands of the insults he’s issued since becoming pope, with attribution for each and every one.
Google “pope’s insults” to find it.
Peace. That’s why we voted for Trump. Bet Bergoglio loves that notion! LOL!
Pope Francis is Pope, yet the author and right wing echo chamber of comments seem to respect Trump more than the Pope. Incredible.
The author of the CNA piece? It makes no mention of or allusion to Trump.
William: The left-wing, anti-Christian vacuum chamber cannot grasp that even when Trump and other soft conservatives lose sight of “right wing” Christian principles of innate truth, divinely endowed natural law, and rights as divine endowments and not political inventions, there are still Christian “right wingers” to whom they might listen, unlike “cult of inevitable progress” left-wingers who relativize truth, oblivious to such realities like sinfulness actually does have victims, as they pursue the deconstruction of moral absolutes reveling in a false compassion that only cares about avoiding guilt.
I pray that this pope starts listening and acting in accordance with what he says. Although the word “dialog” is in his vocabulary and he utters it frequently, he does not practice it, as we all know.
Instead of listening to what God has to say to us through Sacred Scripture and Tradition, he leads his flock into the weeds of synodally synodal synods on synodality, whatever that is.
Be assured the path through such briar will not lead to Christ, who is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life, and not just one of an infinite number of paths that lead to the same destination..
The flock that God has entrusted to this pope remains in grave danger, not only from this bad shepherd, but also from the wolves he has brought in to assist him in his efforts.
Bergoglio’s Cultural Totalitarianism, evidenced in his War on Sacred Tradition, leaves no room for dialogue and peace.
Bergoglio has sown only discord during his occupation of the See of Peter; he is in no position to preach that others do as he says, not as he does!