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Pope Francis highlighted the plight of children caught up in war, highlighting the victims in Syria, Yemen and Iraq in his Christmas message. (AFP photo)
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis said in his Christmas message Friday that fraternity was a watchword for these unusually troubled times exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“At this moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and serious economic and social imbalances only aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, it is even more important that we recognize ourselves as brothers,” he said in his “Urbi et Orbi Message.”
He said that this call for solidarity was especially aimed at “the most fragile people, the sick and all those who in this period are without work or in serious difficulties due to the economic consequences of the pandemic and women who have been subjected to violence. domestic during these months of confinement “.
The pontiff also addressed the plight of children trapped by war, pointing to the victims in Syria, Yemen and Iraq in his Christmas message.
“On this day when the word of God became a child, let us turn our gaze to the many, too many children around the world, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, who still pay the high price of war,” he said . .
“May your faces touch the consciences of all men and women of good will, so that the causes of conflict can be addressed and courageous efforts can be made to build a future of peace,” he said.
Pope Francis will make a historic visit to Iraq in March, the Vatican said Monday, the first by a pontiff and which will include a trip to the city of Mosul, a former jihadist stronghold.
The Pope has long spoken of his desire to visit the Middle Eastern country, where two decades of conflict have taken a heavy toll on Christian communities.
The Argentine-born pope called for peace and reconciliation in Libya and Iraq, “particularly to the Yazidis, sorely tested by these last years of war.”
