Pope Francis blasted the weapons industry and its "instruments of death" that fuel wars around the world as he made a Christmas Day appeal for peace. Speaking from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to the throngs of people below, Francis said he grieved the "abominable attack" of Hamas against southern Israel on October 7 and called for the release of hostages.
He went on to call for an end to Israel's military campaign in Gaza and the "appalling harvest of innocent civilians" as he called for humanitarian aid to reach those in need.Francis devoted his Christmas Day blessing to a call for peace in the world, noting that the biblical story of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem sent a message of peace. But he said that Bethlehem "is a place of sorrow and silence" this year.Francis' annual "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and the World") speech typically offers a lament of all the misery facing the world, and this year's edition was no different.
