Pope Leo XIV has called for a Christmas Day truce in ongoing conflicts around the world, and spoken out against the passage of an assisted suicide law in his home state of Illinois.
The Pope made his comments while addressing journalists outside Castel Gandolfo.
Calling on nations to lay down arms for 24 hours on Christmas Day, Pope Leo said, “I once again make this appeal to all people of good will: that, at least on the feast of the birth of the Saviour, one day of peace may be respected.”
His appeal will likely fall on deaf ears. Russia generally celebrates the birth of Jesus on 7 January due to its historic use of the Julian calendar, while in the Middle East neither Hamas nor Israel consider the birth of Jesus to be of great significance.
The Pope said that he had been in contact with Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Holy Family parish.
“They are trying to celebrate the feast in the midst of a situation that remains very precarious. Let us hope that the peace agreement will move forward," he said.
Holy Family Church was a place of special concern to the late Pope Francis, who was reportedly in contact with the parish on an almost daily basis during the final months of his life.
Earlier this month Father Romanelli told Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need, that despite the ceasefire, conditions remained grim in the territory.
“The world should know that there are over two million people here who have nothing and need everything.
“Since the fighting stopped, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has managed to send us important aid with which we have been able to help over 12,000 families."
The people, he said, continued to suffer due to the lack of basic provisions and the fact that no progress has been made at reconstructing homes and infrastructure as yet.
Concerning developments in Illinois, from September next year the state's citizens will be able to undergo medically assisted suicide if they are adults with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less.
Similar laws have already been passed in a number of jurisdictions, most notably in the US state of Oregon, as well as Canada. Proposals are being considered by legislatures throughout the western world. In Britain, both the Westminster and Holyrood parliaments are assessing legislative proposals that could permit the controversial practice.
The Pope said that he had already spoken with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker during an audience in November, before the passage of the bill, and had outlined his views on the matter “very explicitly”.
“We were very clear about the need to respect the sacredness of life, from beginning to end. And unfortunately ... he decided to sign that bill. I am very disappointed by this,” said Leo.
He added that his prayer was that “respect for life may grow once again at every moment of human existence, from conception to natural death.”
