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Pope Francis has shared his thoughts on the Israel-Hamas war as Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem remain canceled.
Bethlehem is located in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank and is considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Usually a sacred place for Christians to celebrate Christmas, this year's festivities were canceled in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who remain under fire from Israeli forces.
The Pontiff took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his thoughts on the ongoing Israeli war efforts in Gaza, which are retaliation to Palestinian militant group Hamas' surprise attack on October 7 that led to the death of 1,200 people in Israel. Around 20,400 people have been killed in Gaza, according to The Associated Press.
"Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world. #Christmas," wrote Pope Francis.
Jesus is sometimes referred to as the Prince of Peace, especially around Christmas time.
Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world. #Christmas
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) December 24, 2023
On Friday, the pope announced he had sent papal almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, to the Holy Land as a "sign of his solidarity amid the tragedy of war." The papal almoner is responsible for performing works of mercy on behalf of the pope.
Krajewski will spend Christmas with the local church in the place of Jesus' birth and has previously personally delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
"Cardinal Krajewski will join this great invocation for peace together with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the entire local church, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the only hope of our world," a release from the Vatican stated.
Pope Francis invited everyone to accompany the cardinal's journey in prayer, "in order to obtain the gift of peace in areas where the thunder of weapons continues to roar."
"Pope Francis, saddened by the 'third world war fought piecemeal' that afflicts the world, prays every day for peace, calling for an end to the conflicts that stain the earth: in martyred Ukraine, in Syria, in many countries in Africa, and now in Israel and Palestine," read the statement.
Pope Francis had warned of a "mountain of dead" piling up in Gaza and Israel, and described the conflict there as "terrorism."
"This is what wars do. But here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism," the Pontiff told an audience in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City in November.
Earlier that week, he shared a video message to X in which he said: "The Palestinian people and the people of Israel have the right to live in peace: two fraternal peoples.
"Let us #PrayTogether for peace in the Holy Land, so that disputes may be resolved through dialogue and negotiations, and not with a mountain of dead on each side."
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About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more