‘Let the guns be silent and the Christmas carols resound’

From the large screens in St. Peter’s Square, the blessing of the “little children” and words of pain for Gaza: “So much cruelty, machine-gunned children.” This morning Patriarch Pizzaballa arrived at the Holy Family parish after yesterday’s ban. His commentary on the Gospel about the gift of life: “No child is a mistake.”

Vatican City () – The traditional blessing of the “little children” that precedes Christmas, the commentary on the Gospel of the day that narrates Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and then the “gift of life”, a new call for peace in the world and even more unequivocal words underlining the “so much cruelty” witnessed in Gaza, after those spoken yesterday when meeting with Vatican workers. These were the topics addressed this morning by Pope Francis at the Angelus meeting, held in connection with the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, due to the cold and the “cold symptoms” manifested in recent days. “I am sorry not to be with you in the square, but I am improving and we must take precautions,” he said through the giant screens to the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

«With pain I think of Gaza. In so much cruelty. In machine-gunned children. In the bombing of schools and hospitals. “So much cruelty,” the Pontiff said today. Yesterday, during the traditional meeting with the employees of the Holy See, the Governorate of Vatican City State and the Vicariate of Rome, to congratulate Christmas, the words of Card were echoed. Giovanni Battista Re, who stressed the presence of “wars” and “inhumanity” in our time. “Yesterday, the Patriarch (Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, ed.) was not allowed to enter Gaza as they had promised and yesterday they bombed children,” were the words of yesterday’s news broadcast by the agencies. Today, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced that this morning Pizzaballa has finally entered the Strip and has arrived at the parish of the Holy Family for “a visit of solidarity and the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord.”

In the connection from Santa Marta there was no lack of a thought directed to the “tormented Ukraine.” “It continues to be hit by attacks against cities, which sometimes damage schools, hospitals, churches,” Bergoglio explained. Painful and deadly attacks that are even more unacceptable as December 25 approaches. «Let the weapons be silent and the Christmas carols resound. Let us pray that at Christmas the fire ceases on all war fronts, in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, throughout the Middle East, throughout the world. A thought for peace was also directed to Mozambique. «I wish to renew to that beloved people my message of hope, of peace, of reconciliation. “I pray that dialogue and the pursuit of the common good sustained by faith and good will prevail over mistrust and discord,” he said.

Following the tradition started in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, Francis then blessed the baby dolls brought to the square by many people, but especially by Roman children and young people. “We will soon bless the ‘little dolls’,” he said in the Gospel commentary that preceded the recitation of the Marian prayer. I brought mine, this one was given to me by the Archbishop of Santa Fe (Mexico, ed.), it was made by the Ecuadorian aborigines. Then, after the Angelus, he added: «The statuettes of the Child Jesus that […] you have brought here, which you will then put in the manger on the way home: I thank you for this simple but important gesture. I heartily bless you all, your parents, your grandparents, your families. And please, don’t forget your grandparents, don’t forget your grandparents. “Let no one be left alone these days,” he finally said, emphasizing the centrality of relationships.

When opening the link, speaking of the episode of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth – a symbolic meeting of the union between the Old and New Testaments narrated in the Gospel according to Saint Luke (Lk 1, 39-45) -, Pope Francis said that It was about “the meeting of two women happy for the extraordinary gift of motherhood.” The joy that both experience, however, may seem far from everyone’s experience. But, “the message that the Evangelist wants to give us, a few days before Christmas, is different.” That is, to suggest that we see the presence and love of God “in the gift of each life, of each child carried in his mother’s arms.” And he added: “No child is a mistake.” Directing his attention to the mothers and mothers-to-be present today at St. Peter’s, he said: “Please, let us not remain indifferent to their presence, let us learn to marvel at their beauty.”

Later addressing listeners, Bergoglio shared an invitation for the days leading up to Christmas. «Brothers and sisters, these days we like to create a festive atmosphere with lights, decorations and Christmas music. Let us remember, however, to express feelings of joy every time we encounter a mother carrying her child in her arms or on her lap. Finally, he shared a series of questions: answering them helps to understand the personal relationship with the “gift of life.” «Do I thank the Lord because he became man like us, to share our existence in everything, except sin? Do I praise and bless Him for every child born? When I meet an expectant mother, am I friendly? Do I maintain and defend the sacred value of the life of children from their conception in the womb?