In his customary Christmas message, which he read out a short while ago from the Vatican, Pope Francis referred to the need for the reunification of Cyprus.

“Let the Holy Year also be an opportunity to break down the walls that divide: the ideological ones, which so often have a decisive influence on political life, and the material ones, such as the division that has existed -for fifty years- on the island of Cyprus and which has traumatized its social and human fabric. I hope that a commonly accepted solution can be reached, which will put an end to the division, with full respect for the rights and dignity of all Cypriot communities,” Francis said, addressing the faithful.

The Pope also called for the silencing of weapons in the Middle East and referred in particular to the “grave humanitarian situation in Gaza”, expressing his closeness to Christians living in Israel and Palestine. He again called for the release of Israeli hostages, as well as for humanitarian aid to be given to the exhausted civilian population.

The Pontiff also expressed solidarity with the Christian community in Lebanon and Syria, and called for dialogue to begin throughout the region, “which is affected by the conflict,” while also encouraging the Libyan people “to seek solutions that will allow national reconciliation to be achieved.”

Francis also referred to Ukraine, stressing:

“Let the guns be silenced in martyred Ukraine! Let the boldness be made to open the door of negotiation and that which leads to moves towards dialogue and reconciliation, so that we may reach a just and lasting peace.”

A special focus, as every year, was given by the Pontiff to the African continent. He expressed his closeness, among others, to the people of Congo, Mali, the countries of the African Horn and Sudan. With reference to Latin America, he called for “effective solutions to be found as quickly as possible, in truth and justice, in order to promote social harmony, especially in Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua.”

“Sisters and Brothers, let the Holy Year of Jubilee be the occasion for the forgiveness of debts, especially those that weigh on the poorest countries. Each one is called upon to forgive the insults he has received, because the Son of the Lord, who was born in the cold and darkness of the night, has made the forgiveness of every debt a reality. He became incarnate in order to forgive us and to achieve our salvation,” Pope Francis concluded.