Pope Francis launches observation of Christmas with a somber mass in the Vatican.
At Saint Peter’s Basilica, Francis uses his Christmas Eve mass to urge Christians to think “of the wars, of the machine-gunned children, of the bombs on schools or hospitals” as this year’s Christmas once again takes place under the shadow of Israel’s war on the Hamas terror group and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
His remarks come just days after he twice denounced what he called the “cruelty” of Israeli strikes, which prompted objections from Israeli officials who said he ignored the cruelty of the Hamas terror group, whose October 7 massacre in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war.
On Sunday, the pontiff said that when thinking of Gaza he thinks “of the children being machine-gunned.” Israel has long said it only targets terrorists, and that Hamas hides among the civilian population, including in hospitals and schools, to protect itself.
Francis is due to deliver his traditional Christmas Day blessing, Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world), at midday.
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