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Pope Leo XIV on Thursday condemned the “rubble and open wounds” left by wars, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza during his first Christmas homily.
“Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tested by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” the pope said during mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
“How can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold,” he said.
Tiziana Fabi / AFP via Getty Images 
In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated their first festive Christmas in over two years as the occupied West Bank city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza.
Heavy rains have hit Gaza in recent days, worsening the difficult conditions for residents of the Palestinian territory, almost all of whom were displaced during the war. The UN said around 1.3 million people currently need shelter in Gaza and warned of the growing risk of hypothermia as temperatures drop.
Leo met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican last month. According to a Vatican statement, the two leaders agreed on “the urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population of Gaza” and to “end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution,” which would see the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
During a Christmas blessing on Thursday, Leo also urged Russia and Ukraine finding the “courage” for direct negotiations after weeks of intense international diplomacy to end their nearly four-year war.
“May the parties concerned, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” Leo said.
In recent weeks, Russian and Ukrainian officials have separately discussed proposals with U.S. negotiators to end the conflict sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Speaking to a crowd of some 26,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, the pope also called for “solidarity and acceptance of those in need” in Europe, a possible reference to growing anti-immigration sentiment on the continent.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prévost, was born in Chicago and became the first American pontiff in the history of the Church when he was chosen by his fellow cardinals during a Vatican conclave in May.
