As part of his Christmas Day call for world peace and specifically for an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Pope Francis criticised the weapons industry on Monday, calling its products “instruments of death” that contribute to conflicts.
From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis addressed the masses below, expressing his sorrow over the “abominable attack” perpetrated by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7 and demanding the release of all hostages. In addition to pleading for humanitarian aid to reach those in need, he condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling it a “appalling harvest of innocent civilians.”
Noting that the biblical account of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem conveyed a message of peace, Francis devoted his Christmas Day blessing to a plea for global peace. Bethlehem, he added, “is a place of sorrow and silence” at this time.
Without exception, Pope Francis’ yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) address bemoans the world’s plight. Francis pleaded for humanitarian efforts, dialogue, and security to triumph over violence and death in a number of different countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, South Sudan, the Congo, and the Korean peninsula.
He pleaded with governments and good-hearted individuals across the Americas to do something about the “troubling phenomenon” of migration and the “unscrupulous traffickers” that prey on innocent people seeking a better life.
He singled out the arms business as the culprit, claiming that it was enabling conflicts worldwide while receiving surprisingly little attention.
He argued that the topic ought to be discussed and documented in order to expose the financial interests and power dynamics that control the variables of conflict. “And with the increase in arms production, sales, and trade, how can we even broach the subject of peace?”
The arms industry, which Francis has called the “merchants of death,” is allegedly using the current conflict in Ukraine and other countries to test out new weapons and deplete existing supplies.
A peaceful resolution to the problem, he said, must be achieved “through sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community.” He pleaded for an end to hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians.
According to Vatican officials, some 70,000 people crammed into St. Peter’s Square to hear Pope Francis’s blessing and speech at midday. Among them were a number of Palestinians and a few Ukrainians flying flags.
The primary event of Francis’s Christmas Day appearance was his speech from the loggia. However, he is scheduled to offer a blessing on Tuesday, which is also a holiday in Italy, the feast of St. Stephen. His vacation will conclude with a vigil in the basilica on New Year’s Eve and Mass the next day.
The 87-year-old Pope seemed to be doing fine on Monday and during Christmas Eve Mass the night before, despite his recent bronchitis; he did, however, cough and appear short of breath on occasion.
