Pope Francis expressed 10 wishes on topics that are dear and close to him, in his Christmas message, before the blessing The city and the world (for the city of Rome and the world) in the Vatican and before thousands of faithful present, one of which refers to four Latin American countries.
The Pontiff blessed all those present, also conferring the plenary indulgence, with the formula that he read in Latin, remembering that the Lord has given him the authority to do so.
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In his message, which he read from the loggia (balcony) of St. Peter’s Basilica, under the Roman sun, the Holy Father shared 10 wishes for everyone in this Jubilee that began yesterday with the opening of the Holy Door.
1. God forgives everything: Let us let Him forgive us
“Brothers and sisters, the door of God’s heart is always open, let us return to Him. Let us return to the heart that loves us and forgives us. Let us allow ourselves to be forgiven by Him, let us allow ourselves to be reconciled with Him. God always forgives, God forgives everything, let us allow ourselves to be forgiven by Him,” the Holy Father exhorted.
“This is the meaning of the Holy Door of the Jubilee, which I opened last night here in San Pedro: it represents Jesus, Door of salvation open to all. “Jesus is the Door that the merciful Father has opened in the middle of the world, in the middle of history, so that we can all return to Him,” he added.
“Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid. The Door is open, wide open. It is not necessary to touch”, you just need to cross, Pope Francis urged.
2. Pope Francis encourages us to be pilgrims of hope
“This Christmas, the beginning of the Jubilee Year, I invite all people, all peoples and nations to arm themselves with courage to cross the Door, to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the weapons, to silence the weapons! and overcome divisions,” the Pope urged.
3. “Let the guns fall silent in the martyred Ukraine”
On this issue, which he has referred to many times, always encouraging ceasefire and peace, Pope Francis expressed his hope that “there will be the audacity to open the door to negotiations and gestures of dialogue and encounter, to reach a just and lasting peace.”
4. Pope Francis: “Let the weapons remain silent in the Middle East”
Regarding this wish, which he has referred to on countless occasions, especially at the conclusion of the Angelus prayer on Sundays, Pope Francis said: “With my eyes fixed on the cradle of Bethlehem, I direct my thoughts to the Christian communities of Palestine and Israel, in particular to the beloved community of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very serious. Let the fire cease, the hostages be released and the population exhausted by hunger and war be helped. “I am also close to the Christian community of Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that of Syria, at this very delicate moment.”
“May the doors of dialogue and peace be opened throughout the region, torn by conflict. And I also want to remember the Libyan people here, encouraging them to seek solutions that allow national reconciliation,” he encouraged.
5. A wish for Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua
“May the Child Jesus inspire the political authorities and all people of good will on the American continent, in order to find effective solutions in truth and justice as soon as possible, to promote social harmony, in particular I think of Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua, and work, especially during this Jubilee Year, to build the common good and rediscover the dignity of each person, overcoming political divisions.”
6. Hope for Africa in the heart of the Holy Father
“May the birth of the Savior bring a time of hope to the families of thousands of children who are dying from the measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as to the populations of the east of that country and those of Burkina Faso , from Mali, from Niger and from Mozambique,” Francis urged.
“The humanitarian crisis that hits them is caused mainly by armed conflicts and the plague of terrorism and is aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change, which causes the loss of human life and the displacement of millions of people. I also think of the populations of the countries of the Horn of Africa for whom I implore the gifts of peace, concord and fraternity.”
7. Humanitarian aid for Sudan
Pope Francis also expressed his desire “that the Son of the Almighty sustain the commitment of the international community to favor the access of the civilian population of Sudan to humanitarian aid and to launch new negotiations with the purpose of a ceasefire.” .
8. Comfort for Myanmar in Asia
“May the announcement of Christmas bring comfort to the inhabitants of Myanmar, who, due to continuous armed clashes, suffer great suffering and are forced to flee their homes,” the Pope prayed.
9. Pope Francis: End the division in Cyprus
“May the Jubilee be an occasion to tear down all the walls of separation: the ideological ones, which so often mark political life, and the material ones, such as the division that has affected the island of Cyprus for fifty years and that has lacerated the fabric human and social. I hope that a shared solution can be reached, which puts an end to the division while fully respecting the rights and dignity of all Cypriot communities,” said the Holy Father.
10. Let each one forgive the offenses received
After highlighting that Jesus awaits everyone: the most fragile, children suffering from war and hunger, the elderly, the unemployed, prisoners or the many who are persecuted because of their faith, Pope Francis expressed his desire that “The Jubilee be the occasion to forgive debts, especially those that burden the poorest countries.”
“Each of us is called to forgive the offenses received, because the Son of God, who was born in the cold darkness of the night, forgives all our offenses. “He has come to heal us and forgive us,” the Pontiff stressed.
Walter Sánchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.