The head of the Catholic Church addressed thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square, some of them holding Ukrainian flags, before delivering the 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing ('to the city and the world').
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the "senseless" war in Ukraine, in his traditional Christmas Day message broadcast around the world.
"May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering, and may he enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war!" he said. The pope has called for peace in Ukraine ever since Russia invaded its neighbour in February, condemning the war but seeking to maintain a delicate dialogue with Moscow.
"The war in Ukraine has further aggravated this situation, putting entire peoples at risk of famine, especially in Afghanistan and in the countries of the Horn of Africa," he said.
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