Pope Francis used his Christmas Eve mass to urge Christians to think “of the wars, of the machine-gunned children, of the bombs on schools or hospitals,” reinforcing his overt and covert criticism of Israel’s 15-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza.
In his Christmas address the following day in front of thousands gathered outside of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the 88-year-old pontiff denounced what he described as the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war,” the pope said. He also calling for “arms to be silenced” around the world.
The remarks come days after the leader of the Catholic Church twice denounced what he called the “cruelty” of Israeli strikes, which prompted criticism from Israeli officials who said he ignored the cruelty of the Palestinian terrorist group and applied a double standard that singled out Jews.
The somber Tuesday night mass held at the Vatican came as relations between the pontiff and Israel plunged this month after his increasingly harsh criticism of the war.
“In his continued attitude towards Israel, the Pope is undermining 80 years of rebuilding relations between Roman Catholics and Jews since the Holocaust when the Vatican protected Nazis,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel wrote on X this weekend.
Earlier this month, a nativity scene displayed in Vatican City featured the infant Jesus clad in a keffiyeh. It was removed following backlash from Christian and Jewish organizations.
