Millions of Christians around the world celebrate Christmas today, a holiday overshadowed this year by the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, and many other parts of the world.
In the Vatican, Pope Francis is expected to once again call for peace in the Middle East and worldwide during his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.
Yesterday, on the eve of Christmas, Pope Francis announced the beginning of the “Holy Year” 2025 for the Roman Catholic Church, a major global pilgrimage expected to bring over 30 million believers from around the world to Rome.
Later, he led the midnight mass, urging the faithful to reflect on “wars, children who have been killed, bombs in schools and hospitals,” referring to the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and calling them “brutal.”
Ukraine
Ukraine, which for the second consecutive year celebrates Christmas on December 25, as in the West, rather than on January 7 according to the old calendar followed by the Russian Orthodox Church, woke up this morning under a “rain” of rockets.
An air raid alert was issued across the country in the early hours of the morning, as Russian rockets were launched on Kharkiv, the major city in eastern Ukraine, and many of the country’s energy infrastructure.
Gaza
The war in Gaza overshadowed Christmas Eve again this year in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christianity, where a few hundred believers gathered inside and around the Church of the Nativity.
Bethlehem is struggling to celebrate Christmas this year, said Anton Salman, the mayor of the occupied West Bank city, which is only about 10 kilometers from Jerusalem, on the other side of the wall built by Israel.
A large Christmas tree was placed in the square near Manger, but, like last year, local authorities decided not to organize major festive events.
Syria
In Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad was ousted on December 8, the new authorities, led by Islamists, tried to calm the Christians.
“It wasn’t easy in the current circumstances to gather and pray joyfully, but thanks to God, we succeeded,” said Sarah, who participated in the mass at the Syrian Orthodox Cathedral of St. George in Damascus.
