Pope Leo laments suffering of Palestinians in Gaza in first Christmas sermon | Religious news

Pope Leo denounced the conditions of Palestinians in Gaza during his first Christmas sermon as pontiff, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn spiritual service on the day when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Leo, the first American pope, said Thursday that the story of Jesus’ birth in a stable showed that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the world’s people.

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“How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold? he asked.

Leo, celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world’s cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis, has a calmer, more diplomatic style than his predecessor and generally refrains from making political references in his sermons.

But the new pope has also repeatedly lamented the living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza and told reporters last month that the only solution to the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine must include a Palestinian state.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October “after two years of intense bombing and military operations in Gaza, but humanitarian agencies say there is still too little aid reaching the largely destroyed Gaza Strip, where almost the entire population is homeless after being displaced by Israeli attacks.”

During Thursday’s mass with thousands of people in St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo also lamented the situation of homelessness across the world and the destruction caused by the wars that are shaking the world.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tested by so many wars, ongoing or ended, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” the pope said.

“Fragles are the spirit and life of the young people forced to take up arms, who, on the front line, feel the absurdity of what is asked of them and the lies that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their death,” he added.

In a subsequent appeal during the Pope’s “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message and blessing at Christmas and Easter, Leo called for an end to all world wars, lamenting “political, social or military” conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, among others.

“The wounds are deep”

Ahead of the pope’s mass, in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, the Christian community began celebrating its first festive Christmas in more than two years, as the Palestinian city and biblical birthplace of Jesus emerges from the shadow of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Throughout the war, a somber tone had marked Christmases in Bethlehem. But celebrations resumed on Wednesday with parades and music. Hundreds of worshipers also gathered for mass at the Church of the Nativity on Wednesday evening.

With the pews filled well before midnight, many stood or sat on the floor for the traditional mass marking the start of Christmas Day.

At 11:15 p.m. (9:15 p.m. GMT), organ music blared as a procession of dozens of clergy entered, followed by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who blessed the crowd with signs of the cross.

In his homily, Pizzaballa called for peace, hope and rebirth, saying the story of the Nativity was still relevant in the turbulence of modern times.

He also spoke about his visit to Gaza this weekend, where he said “suffering is still there” despite the ceasefire. In the Gaza Strip, hundreds of thousands of people face a harsh winter in makeshift tents.

“The wounds are deep, but I must say that here too, their Christmas proclamation resonates,” Pizzaballa said. “When I met them, I was struck by their strength and their desire to start again. »

In Bethlehem, hundreds of people also took part in the parade on the narrow Rue de l’Etoile on Wednesday, while a dense crowd gathered in the square. As night fell, multi-colored lights shone on Manger Square and a towering Christmas tree glowed next to the Church of the Nativity.

The basilica dates back to the 4th century and was built atop a cave where Christians believe Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago.

Bethlehem residents hoped that the return of Christmas festivities would bring life back to the city.