Pope urges world to lay down arms and “overcome divisions” in Christmas message

Pope Francis, in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday, urged “all people of all nations” to find courage this Holy Year to “silence the sounds of guns and overcome the divisions” plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.

The Pope’s “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) address serves as a summary of the troubles facing the world this year. As Christmas coincided with the start of the celebration of the Holy Year in 2025, which he dedicated to hope, Francis called for broad reconciliation, “even (with) our enemies”.

“I invite every person and all people of all nations … to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of weapons and to overcome divisions,” the pope said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to the throngs of people below.

The Pope invoked the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, which he opened on Christmas Eve to usher in the Jubilee in 2025, as a symbol of God’s mercy that “unties every knot; it breaks down every wall of division; it dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge.”

WATCH | Pope Francis delivers Christmas message “Urbi et Orbi”:

He called for the guns to be silenced in war-torn Ukraine and the Middle East, citing Christian communities in Israel and the Palestinian territories, “especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely dire,” as well as Lebanon and Syria “in this most delicate time.”

Francis reiterated his calls for the release of hostages taken from Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

He pointed to the deadly measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the suffering of the people of Myanmar forced from their homes by the “ongoing armed conflict”. The Pope also remembered the children suffering from war and hunger, the elderly living alone, those who flee their homeland, those who have lost their jobs and people who are persecuted for their faith.

The Jubilee is expected to draw millions to Rome

Pilgrims lined up on Christmas Day to pass through the great Holy Door at the entrance to St Peter’s Basilica as the jubilee is expected to bring some 32 million Catholic faithful to Rome.

Passing through the Holy Door is one way the faithful can receive indulgences or forgiveness of sins during a jubilee, a tradition that takes place once every quarter of a century and dates back to the 1300s.

Pilgrims underwent security checks before entering the Holy Door amid fresh security concerns following the deadly attack on a Christmas market in Germany.

Many stopped to touch the door as they passed and crossed themselves upon entering the basilica, dedicated to Saint Peter, the founder of the Roman Catholic Church.

“You feel so humbled when you walk through the door that once you walk through it, it’s almost like a release, a release of emotions,” said Blanca Martin, a pilgrim from San Diego. “It’s almost like a release of emotions, you feel like now you can let go and put everything in God’s hands. Look I’m getting emotional. It’s just a beautiful experience.”