The Pope in the Christmas Message: The faces of the children of Syria, Iraq and Yemen must shake the consciences

In his Christmas message, Pope Francis said: “The faces of the children of Syria, Iraq and Yemen, who are paying the heavy price of the war, must shake the consciences.”

In his classic presentation of the conflicts in the world, followed by the blessing of the city of Rome and the world, the Pope in particular expressed his hope that Christmas would “lead to a defuse of tensions throughout the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.”

the Pope added, “Let us turn our attention to the many children who, in all parts of the world, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, are still paying the high price of war.” “Let their faces shake the consciences of men of good will, so that the causes of conflicts are addressed, and we work courageously to build a future of peace.”

Pope Francis mentioned the suffering of the Syrian people, saying: “May the Child Jesus heal the wounds of the beloved Syrian people, who for a decade ago have been exhausted by war and its consequences that have been exacerbated by the epidemic.”

The Pope called on countries to share Corona vaccines, saying: “It is not possible to build national walls to stop a pandemic that knows no borders.”

He noted that “at this moment in history, marked by the environmental crisis and the serious economic and social imbalances that have been exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic, it is extremely important that we recognize each other as brothers and sisters.”

He stressed that health is an international issue, and appeared to criticize the so-called “vaccine nationalism”, which UN officials fear will worsen the epidemic if poor countries finally receive the vaccine.

Pope Francis has previously called on the international community to encourage the return of the population who fled the war, and said in a video message marking an online meeting organized by the Vatican with more than fifty Catholic NGOs working in the region, “My thoughts are directed especially to the people who have been forced to leave their homes to escape from the horrors of war, in search of better living conditions.