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On Christmas Day, the Pope called the brotherhood in times of pandemic. To protect against the spread of the corona virus, the Pope donated the Urbi et orbi blessing this time in the Hall of Blessing of the Apostolic Palace and not, as usual, from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
AUSTRIA. The Pope thought of all the people who are suffering from the corona pandemic, as well as the war and emergency zones around the world. The head of the Catholic Church urged solidarity with the weakest people, the sick, the unemployed and people who are in great difficulties due to the consequences of the pandemic. He also thought about the women who have been victims of domestic violence during these isolated days.
Vaccinate a “light of hope”
Pope Francis hopes that vaccines and therapies will be available to everyone, especially the weakest and the poorest. He described the vaccine as a “beacon of hope” if it were available to everyone. “The laws of the market should not prevail over the laws of health and humanity,” the Pope warned. When developing vaccines, they must work together and not against each other. “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, ”the Pope emphasized.
In addition, the pontiff also reminded the families that they were separated due to the corona pandemic and that they cannot spend the Christmas season together. The Pope also expressed his condolences to the many children suffering from war and conflict in the Middle East and other countries around the world, as well as the “esteemed Syrian people.” The Pope also stressed that he prayed for mutual trust between Israelis and Palestinians so that a “just and lasting peace could be achieved through direct dialogue.”
“To relieve the tears of those who suffer”
The Christmas message and the Urbi et orbi (For the city and the world) blessing are one of the highlights of Christian Christmas celebrations. The Pope exempts believers from penalties for their sins if they have previously confessed or apologized. The blessing is traditionally given at Easter and Christmas and when a new Pope is elected.
For these Christmas holidays, the faithful could not gather in St. Peter’s Square as usual. Millions followed the papal Christmas message on television or on the Internet. With a festive service in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis officially kicked off the Christmas celebrations at the Vatican on Thursday night. During the traditional Christmas mass to commemorate the birth of Christ 2,000 years ago, the Pope called on humanity and charity. The pontiff asked the faithful not “to mourn for their own fate, but to relieve the tears of those who suffer.”
