Pope Francis has called for a ceasefire on all war fronts in his Sunday Angelus prayer ahead of Christmas, condemning the "cruelty" of bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine and Gaza.
"Let the weapons fall silent and let the Christmas carols ring out!" Francis said, delivering his Sunday blessing from indoors due to a cold.
"Let us pray that at Christmas there will be a ceasefire on all war fronts, in Ukraine, in the Holy Land, throughout the Middle East and throughout the world."
Francis recalled, the "battered Ukraine" that continues to be hit by attacks on cities, "which sometimes damage schools, hospitals and churches".
Catholics have watched Pope Francis leading his Sunday Angelus prayer from a big screen. (EPA PHOTO)
He also expressed his pain thinking of Gaza, "of such cruelty, to the machine-gunning of children, to the bombing of schools and hospitals ... How much cruelty!"
Francis on Saturday also criticised Israel's actions in Gaza and said that his envoy had been unable to enter the territory because of Israeli bombing.
Israeli authorities on Sunday allowed Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, to enter Gaza and celebrate a pre-Christmas mass with members of the territory's small Christian community.
In response to the Pope's statement today: Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli children; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, including a baby and children, by terrorists and abusing them.— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) Unfortunately, the Pope has chosen to…December 21, 2024
Israel says it has made great efforts to spare civilians and is only at war with Hamas, which it accuses of genocidal violence in the attack that ignited the war.
The pontiff, who turned 88 this past week, appeared in good shape on Sunday, after looking wheezing and congested during his annual Christmas greeting to Vatican bureaucrats on Saturday.
The Vatican cited the cold temperatures outside and Francis' strenuous week ahead in deciding to deliver his Sunday blessing indoors.
The pope on Tuesday is due to inaugurate his big holy year and preside over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations in St Peter's Basilica.
On Thursday, he is scheduled to travel to Rome's main prison to inaugurate the jubilee there.
Francis has long suffered bouts of bronchitis, especially in winter.
In 2023, he ended up in hospital to receive intravenous antibiotics.
He had part of one lung removed as a young man and frequently seems out of breath, especially after walking or exerting himself.