The queue to enter the Basilica through the Holy Door began to move at eight this morning. Despite the frost, groups of pilgrims, preceded by the cross, walk the steps that separate them from the atrium of St. Peter’s. And they wait, in large numbers, even in the square for the Pontiff’s words addressed to Rome and the world. The usual Urbi et orbi blessing starts from the words that remind us that «this night the mystery was renewed that never ceases to amaze and move us: the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and he placed him in a manger. This is how the shepherds of Bethlehem found him, full of joy, while the angels sang: “Glory to God and peace to men”:
Peace, the word that is closest to Francis’ heart, is at the center of the whole message. Peace for Ukraine and the Middle East, first and foremost. As usual, the Christmas blessing is also the moment in which the Pontiff takes stock of the crisis situations in the world. And so, in inviting everyone to cross the threshold of the Holy Door, he asks that weapons be silenced and divisions overcome. «Let the weapons be silent in the tormented Ukraine! Let us have the audacity to open the door to negotiation and gestures of dialogue and meeting, to arrive at a just and lasting peace. Silence the weapons in the Middle East! With my eyes fixed on the cradle of Bethlehem, I turn my thoughts to the Christian communities in Palestine and Israel, and in particular to the dear community of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very serious. Let the fire stop, let the hostages be freed and help the population exhausted by hunger and war.” And again, says the Pontiff, «I am also close to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that of Syria, in this delicate moment. May the doors of dialogue and peace be opened throughout the region, torn by conflict. And I also want to remember the Libyan people here, encouraging them to seek solutions that allow national reconciliation. May the birth of the Savior bring a time of hope to the families of thousands of children who are dying from a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as to the populations of the East of that country and those of Burkina Faso, Mali, of Niger and Mozambique. The humanitarian crisis affecting them is mainly caused by armed conflicts and the scourge of terrorism and is aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change, which cause the loss of human lives and the displacement of millions of people. I also think of the populations of the countries of the Horn of Africa for whom I implore the gifts of peace, harmony and brotherhood. May the Son of the Almighty support the commitment of the international community in promoting access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Sudan and in starting new negotiations with a view to a ceasefire.”
And while he reminds us that “the door of God’s heart is always open”, or rather, that it is “wide open, we don’t need to knock, it is open” and that we can “reconcile ourselves even with our enemies”, that God always loves us and forgives us , «forgive everything», hopes that «the announcement of Christmas will bring comfort to the inhabitants of Myanmar, who, due to the continuous armed clashes, suffer serious suffering and are forced to flee from their homes». “Jesus is the door of peace, but we often stop at the threshold, we don’t have the courage to cross it”, but the Jubilee tells us precisely this, that we can cross the door and be reconciled. May the Child Jesus, the Pontiff hopes, «inspire the political authorities and all people of good will on the American continent, so that effective solutions in truth and justice can be found as soon as possible, to promote social harmony, I am thinking in particular of Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua, and let us work, especially in this Jubilee Year, to build the common good and rediscover the dignity of every person, overcoming political divisions”.
The Jubilee, then, Francis continues, «is an opportunity to break down all the walls of separation: the ideological ones, which so often mark political life, and also the physical ones, such as the division that has affected the island of Cyprus and which has torn its human and social fabric. I hope that we can reach a shared solution, a solution that puts an end to the division in full respect of the rights and dignity of all Cypriot communities.” He goes back to talking about Jesus who «is the wide open door that we are invited to cross to rediscover the meaning of our existence and the sacredness of every life, every life is sacred, and to recover the founding values of the human family». Remember that the Lord “awaits us on the threshold. It awaits each of us, especially the most fragile: it awaits children, all the children who suffer from war and suffer from hunger; awaits the elderly, us ancestors, often forced to live in conditions of solitude and abandonment; awaits those who have lost their homes or flee their land, in an attempt to find a safe refuge; awaits those who have lost or cannot find a job; awaits the prisoners who, despite everything, remain children of God, always children of God; awaits those who are persecuted for their faith and there are many.”
Finally, gratitude «towards those who do their utmost for good in a silent and faithful way: I think of parents, educators and teachers, who have the great responsibility of training future generations; I think of the healthcare workers, the police forces, those involved in charitable works, especially the missionaries scattered around the world, who bring light and comfort to many people in difficulty. To all of them we want to say: thank you! Thank you!”. And while the square explodes in applause, he asks that «the Jubilee be an opportunity to forgive debts, especially those that burden the poorest countries. Everyone is called to forgive the offenses received, because the Son of God, who was born in the cold and darkness of the night, forgives all our debts. He came to heal us and forgive us. Pilgrims of hope, let’s go to meet him! Let us open the doors of our hearts to him, as he opened the doors of his heart to us.”
