Pope prayed for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan in his Christmas message.
Greeting the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square from the central loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis offered his traditional good wishes on this Christmas Day with a message followed by his solemn “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, to the city and the world.
The Pope said we look to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem during these times, sadly marked by “sorrow and silence.” Yet the birth of the Saviour there and the proclamation of the angel, “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord,” give us great hope as “the Lord has been born for us…the eternal Word of the Father, the infinite God, has made His home among us.
May Armenia and Azerbaijan draw closer to a definitive peace, he prayed, especially through humanitarian outreach and the return of refugees to their homes in security and with respect for religious traditions and places of worship.
