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Pope Leo XIV has used his first Christmas blessing as pontiff to urge Russia and Ukraine to find the courage to engage in direct talks, while also highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and condemning the devastating impact of war worldwide.
Addressing a crowd of around 26,000 people in St Peter’s Square on Thursday, the US-born pope delivered a message centred on peace, compassion and solidarity. Elected in May following the death of Pope Francis, Leo XIV criticised the “absurdity” of war and spoke of the destruction and suffering it leaves in its wake.
Turning specifically to Ukraine, the pope called for prayers for what he described as a “tormented people”, and appealed to both Moscow and Kyiv to pursue honest and respectful dialogue with the backing of the international community. His comments come as Russian and Ukrainian officials have separately held discussions with US negotiators in recent weeks, exploring possible routes towards ending the conflict sparked by Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, devastated large areas of eastern Ukraine and forced millions to flee their homes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently outlined elements of a peace plan following talks with Washington, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far shown little sign of softening his long-standing demands.
In his Christmas homily, Leo XIV also focused on Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced weeks after a fragile ceasefire took effect. He spoke of families living in makeshift tents exposed to winter rain, wind and cold, noting that many residents have lost everything. The United Nations estimates that around 1.3 million people in Gaza are in urgent need of shelter assistance and has warned of rising risks as temperatures continue to fall.
Palestinian Christians in Gaza echoed the pope’s concern. Elias al-Jalda, who attended Christmas mass at the territory’s only Roman Catholic church, said the war had taken a heavy toll on everyone and expressed hope that the coming year would bring a complete end to the fighting and a chance for life to return to normal.
Elsewhere, religious leaders also addressed themes of division and compassion. Sarah Mullally, who will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, used her Christmas sermon to criticise the polarising nature of debates around immigration in the UK, urging people to focus on shared humanity rather than division. Britain’s King Charles III similarly called for compassion and reconciliation in his annual Christmas broadcast, stressing the importance of unity across diverse communities.
In Bethlehem, Christians celebrated Christmas more openly for the first time in over two years, as the city slowly emerged from the shadow of the Gaza war. Worshippers gathered at the Church of the Nativity, while in Syria, festive lights illuminated parts of Damascus’s Old City despite lingering fears following a deadly attack earlier this year.
By contrast, US President Donald Trump struck a sharply different tone in his Christmas message, offering seasonal greetings while launching an attack on political opponents. In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered a sombre address, reflecting on the deadly attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach earlier this month.
