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Pope Francis speaks during his homelike as he leads a Christmas Eve mass to commemorate the nativity of Jesus Christ on December 24, 2020, in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the new coronavirus. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / POOL / AFP)
Vatican City, Holy See – Pope Francis in his Christmas message on Friday called for “vaccines for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable and most needy in all regions of the planet” for the coronavirus, which he said had exacerbated existing global crises.
The pontiff also addressed the plight of children trapped by war, pointing to the victims in Syria, Yemen and Iraq in his Christmas message.
The vaccines were “rays of hope in this period of darkness and uncertainty,” Pope Francis said in the annual address “Urbi et Orbi” “to the city and the world.”
“I call on everyone, state leaders, companies, international organizations, to promote cooperation and not competition, to find a solution for everyone: vaccines for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable and more in need in all regions of the planet. . “
The pandemic occurred at a “moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and serious economic and social imbalances,” the Pope added, saying that “it was even more important for us to recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters.”
And “on this day … 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 added.
“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 had a great impact on Christian communities.
The Argentine-born pope called for peace and reconciliation in Libya and Iraq, “particularly to the Yazidis, harshly tested by these last years of war.
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