In his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged “people of all nations” to find the courage to “silence the sound of weapons and overcome divisions” this holy year, from the Middle East to Ukraine, from Africa to Asia.
The pontiff's “Urbi et Orbi” (For the City and the World) address serves as a summary of the issues facing the world this year. As Christmas coincided with the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that he dedicated to hope, Francis called for widespread reconciliation “even with our enemies.”
“I invite each person, and all people of all nations … to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sound of weapons and overcome divisions,” the pope told the crowd from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.
The Pope invoked the sacred doors of St. Peter's Basilica, which he opened on Christmas Eve to usher in the 2025 Jubilee, as a representation of God's mercy, which “unties every knot; it breaks down every wall of division; it removes hatred and sentiment. Revenge.”
See | Pope Francis sends 'Urbi et Orbi' Christmas message:
He singled out Christian communities in war-torn Ukraine and the Middle East in Israel and the Palestinian territories, “especially in Gaza where the humanitarian situation is very dire,” as well as calling for a freeze on weapons in Lebanon and Syria. This is the most critical time.”
On October 7, 2023, Francis reiterated his call for the release of those held hostage by Israel by Hamas.
He cited the deadly outbreak of measles in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the suffering of the people of Myanmar, forced to flee their homes by “ongoing gunfire”. The Pope remembered the children suffering from war and hunger, the elderly living in isolation, those who fled their homelands, those who lost their jobs and people persecuted for their faith.
The jubilee is expected to draw millions to Rome
Pilgrims lined up to walk through the great holy door at the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Day, as the Jubilee is expected to bring some 32 million Catholic faithful to Rome.
Crossing the Holy Door is one way believers can receive indulgences, or forgiveness, for sins during the Jubilee, a once-every-quarter-century tradition that dates from the 1300s.
Pilgrims pass through security before entering the holy gates amid fresh security fears after a deadly attack on a Christmas market in Germany.
Many stopped to touch the door and made the sign of the cross as they entered the basilica, dedicated to Saint Peter, the founder of the Roman Catholic Church.
“You feel so humbled when you walk through the door that once you walk out it's almost like a release, a release of emotions,” said Blanca Martin, a pilgrim from San Diego. As if now you are able to let go and put everything in God's hands. Look, I'm getting emotional. It's just a beautiful experience.”
