Pope Leo XIV today, in his first Christmas message, called on the faithful to reject indifference towards those who have lost everything, as in Gaza, those who are in poverty, as in Yemen, and the many migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea and the American continent for a better future.
The Pope addressed an estimated 26.000 people in Rome in the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" address, which in Latin means "To the City and the World," and which serves as a summary of the troubles facing the world.
The Pope wished everyone a Merry Christmas in several languages, and the crowd in St. Peter's Square chanted "Long live the Pope!" During his traditional address, the Pope stressed that "everyone can contribute to peace if they act humbly and responsibly."
"If everyone truly stood in solidarity with the weak and oppressed, then the world would change," the pope said.
The Pope also called for "justice, peace and stability" in Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria and prayed for the "tortured people of Ukraine" as well as for the victims of wars, injustice, religious persecution and terrorism, citing Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and Congo.
He also called for dialogue on "numerous challenges" in Latin America and Myanmar, and added that he was calling for the renewal of "the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia."
"By becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each of us; with those who have nothing left and who have lost everything, like the people of Gaza; with those who are victims of hunger and poverty, like the people of Yemen; with those who flee their homeland in search of a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea or travel the American continent," the Pope said.
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