Pope Leo calls for end to all wars in first Christmas as pontiff
‘May the clamour of weapons cease … and may the parties involved find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue’
In an appeal on Thursday during a message and blessing given at Christmas and Easter, Pope Leo called for an end to all global wars.
Speaking from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he lamented conflicts, political, social or military, in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, and Thailand and Cambodia, among others.
Leo said people in Ukraine, where Russian troops are threatening cities critical to the country’s eastern defences, have been “tormented” by violence.
“May the clamour of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” said the pope.
For Thailand and Cambodia, where border fighting is in its third week with at least 80 killed, Leo asked that the nations’ “ancient friendship” be restored, “to work towards reconciliation and peace”.
The pope also lamented the situation for migrants and refugees who “traverse the American continent”.