Vatican City, 25 December 2013 (VIS) –
“Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the whole world,
greetings and happy Christmas!” said Pope Francis, who appeared at
the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to impart to all
Christianity his first “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among those whom he favours. I take up the song of
the angels who appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem on the night
when Jesus was born. It is a song which unites heaven and earth,
giving praise and glory to heaven, and the promise of peace to earth
and all its people”, continued the Holy Father, asking all to
“share in this song: it is a song for every man or woman who keeps
watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for
others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty”.
“Glory to God! Above all else, this
is what Christmas bids us to do: give glory to God, for he is good,
he is faithful, he is merciful. Today I voice my hope that everyone
will come to know the true face of God, the Father who has given us
Jesus. My hope is that everyone will feel God’s closeness, live in
his presence, love him and adore him. May each of us give glory to
God above all by our lives, by lives spent for love of him and of all
our brothers and sisters”.
“Peace to mankind. True peace - we
know this well - is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a
lovely 'facade' which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls
for daily commitment, but making peace is an art, starting from God’s
gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ”.
“Looking at the Child in the manger,
Child of peace, our thoughts turn to those children who are the most
vulnerable victims of wars, but we think too of the elderly, to
battered women, to the sick… Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!”
the Bishop of Rome exclaimed, who went on to recall those countries
devastated by wars and conflicts, as well as natural disasters, and
to dedicate some special words for refugees, asylum-seekers and
victims of human trafficking.
Pope Francis first mentioned Syria:
“Let us continue to ask the Lord to spare the beloved Syrian people
further suffering, and to enable the parties in conflict to put an
end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid. We have
seen how powerful prayer is! And I am happy today too, that the
followers of different religious confessions are joining us in our
prayer for peace in Syria. Let us never lose the courage of prayer!
The courage to say: Lord, grant your peace to Syria and to the whole
world. And I also invite non-believers to desire peace with that
yearning that makes the heart grow: all united, either by prayer or
by desire. But all of us, for peace”.
“Grant peace, dear Child, to the
Central African Republic, often forgotten and overlooked. Yet you,
Lord, forget no one! And you also want to bring peace to that land,
torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty, where so many people
are homeless, lacking water, food and the bare necessities of life.
Foster social harmony in South Sudan, where current tensions have
already caused too many victims and are threatening peaceful
coexistence in that young state”.
“Prince of Peace, in every place turn
hearts aside from violence and inspire them to lay down arms and
undertake the path of dialogue. Look upon Nigeria, riven by constant
attacks which do not spare the innocent and defenceless. Bless the
land where you chose to come into the world, and grant a favourable
outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Heal
the wounds of the beloved country of Iraq, once more struck by
frequent acts of violence”.
“Lord of life, protect all who are
persecuted for your name. Grant hope and consolation to the displaced
and refugees, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the eastern
part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Grant that migrants in
search of a dignified life may find acceptance and assistance. May
tragedies like those we have witnessed this year, with so many deaths
at Lampedusa, never occur again!”
“Child of Bethlehem, touch the hearts
of all those engaged in human trafficking, that they may realise the
gravity of this crime against humanity. Look upon the many children
who are kidnapped, wounded and killed in armed conflicts, and all
those who are robbed of their childhood and forced to become
soldiers”.
“Lord of heaven and earth, look upon
our planet, frequently exploited by human greed and rapacity. Help
and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the
beloved people of the Philippines, gravely affected by the recent
typhoon”.
“Dear brothers and sisters, today, in
this world, in this humanity, is born the Saviour, who is Christ the
Lord. Let us pause before the Child of Bethlehem. Let us allow our
hearts to be touched, let us not fear this. Let us not fear that our
hearts be moved. We need this! Let us allow ourselves to be warmed by
the tenderness of God; we need his caress. God’s caresses do not
harm us. They give us peace and strength. We need his caresses. God
is full of love: to him be praise and glory forever! God is peace:
let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in
our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world. Let us
allow ourselves to be moved by God’s goodness”.
Before imparting his blessing, the Holy
Father said: “To you, dear brothers and sisters, gathered from
throughout the world in this Square, and to all those from different
countries who join us through the communications media, I offer my
cordial best wishes for a merry Christmas!”
“On this day illumined by the Gospel
hope which springs from the humble stable of Bethlehem, I invoke the
Christmas gift of joy and peace upon all: upon children and the
elderly, upon young people and families, the poor and the
marginalised. May Jesus, who was born for us, console all those
afflicted by illness and suffering; may he sustain those who devote
themselves to serving our brothers and sisters who are most in need.
Happy Christmas to all!”
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