The Pope called the brotherhood in a Christmas message – Coronavirus Vienna

On Christmas Day, the Pope called in his message to bless Urbi et orbi for the brotherhood in times of pandemic. To protect himself against the spread of the corona virus, the Pope delivered his Christmas message and donated the blessing on Christmas Day in the Hall of Blessings of the Apostolic Palace and not, as usual, from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The head of the Catholic Church commemorated all those suffering from the pandemic, as well as in conflict and emergency zones around the world. He called for solidarity with the most vulnerable, the sick, the unemployed and those in great difficulty due to the consequences of the pandemic. He also thought of the women who have become victims of domestic violence in these days of isolation. Francisco expressed the hope that in times of the pandemic everyone would have access to vaccines and therapies, especially the weakest and those most in need.

The vaccine is a “beacon of hope” when it is available to all. “The laws of the market should not prevail over the laws of health and humanity,” the Pope warned. Cooperation, not competition, is necessary to develop vaccines.

“Faced with a challenge that knows no borders, no barriers can be raised. We are all in the same boat. We are all my brothers, ”emphasized the head of the Catholic Church. He also thought of families separated by the pandemic who cannot spend the Christmas season together.

The pontiff expressed his condolences to the many children suffering from war and conflict in the Middle East and various countries of the world, as well as to the “esteemed Syrian people.” Francis asked God for consolation for the Iraqi people, peace for Libya, hoping that the new phase of the ongoing negotiations will put an end to all forms of hostility in the country. The Pope stressed that he prayed for mutual trust between Israelis and Palestinians so that a “just and lasting peace could be achieved through direct dialogue.” The Pope asked the Lebanese people not to lose hope. It is important for Lebanon to go through a path of reform and to continue “its vocation of freedom and peaceful coexistence.”

The Pope was confident that the ceasefire would be maintained in Nagorno-Karabakh and that the dialogue would lead to peace and reconciliation. Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, who “were affected by a serious humanitarian crisis due to extremism and armed conflict, but also due to the pandemic and other natural disasters.”

The Pope also expressed his closeness to the disaster-affected populations of Southeast Asia, particularly those in the Philippines and Vietnam, where numerous storms have caused floods with devastating effects. The Pope did not forget the Rohingya people in his message. “May Jesus bring hope to your suffering,” Francis stressed.

The Christmas message and the Urbi et orbi (For the city and the world) blessing are a highlight of Christian Christmas celebrations. The Pope frees believers from penalties for their sins if they have already redeemed them in confession or through prayer, for example. It is usually donated at Easter and Christmas and when a new Pope is elected. For this Christmas, the faithful could not gather in St. Peter’s Square as usual. Millions saw it on television or on the Internet.

Pope Francis officially opened the Christmas celebrations at the Vatican with a festive service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday night. During the traditional Christmas Mass that commemorates the birth of Christ 2,000 years ago, the Pope exhorted the faithful to show selfless charity and humanity. The head of the church asked the faithful not “to mourn their own fate, but to relieve the tears of those who suffer.” Only about 200 people participated in the service in St.