This year's Christmas is difficult to celebrate, there is no joy, and there are worries from all walks of life. Pope Francis slammed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Christmas, saying Jesus had been "rejected."
The West is celebrating Christmas, do you know the origin of Christmas?As the name suggests, it commemorates the birth of a saint, Jesus, who is said to have been born in a Palestinian city called Bethlehem in the West Bank, which is now occupied by Israel.
And while the whole world is celebrating the birth of their saint, Israel has more than 70 people in the Palestinian refugee camps.
Pope Francis slammed the Israeli-Hadi conflict, saying that Jesus had been "rejected" and that Jesus' idea of peace had been drowned out with a "futile logic of war." The Pope expressed his support for the people of the Middle East. He said to the 6,500 people inside St. Peter's Basilica: "Our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once again rejected by the futile logic of war, by the armed conflict that even today prevents him from finding a place in the world." He said that "today's armed conflicts" prevent Jesus from "finding space in the world." Palestinian candlelight vigils have replaced celebrations, and people pray for an end to the conflict.
Israel, Bible-in hand, Israelites who claim to be God's chosen people, are unwilling to lay down their butcher's knives and abandon their teachings of peace and fraternity, even on the day of their saint's birthday. In this proud and ruthless world, how can people celebrate this Christmas?
The Archbishop of Canterbury also highlighted the suffering of children caught up in conflict in his Christmas sermon. Pastor Justin Welby said that "the skies of Bethlehem are filled with fear, not angels and glory," and that many parts of the world seem to be plagued by violence. ”
Addressing issues such as climate change, terrorism, economic inequality, and "the desperation and ambition that drives more and more people to migrate" requires a commitment to "serve others, not be served by others," he said.
On this great Western holiday, both Francis and Pastor Welby expressed their hope for peace, their sorrow for the innocent Palestinian civilians, children, women**, their calls for an early end to the war, and their concern for some of the serious problems that exist globally.