Pope: ‘Pursuit of peace is responsibility of all’

By Kielce Gussie

“I hope that the glimmer of peace that has emerged can lead to a ceasefire on all other fronts,” Pope Francis stated after praying the Angelus on December 1.

He was referring to the ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel to end 13 months of fighting.

Building upon this, the Pope also challenged the Lebanese people to elect a president. “As soon as possible,” he encouraged, “so that institutions can return to normal functioning, proceed with the necessary reforms, and ensure the country remains an example of peaceful coexistence among different religions.”

However, both Israel and Hezbollah accuse the other of breaching the ceasefire agreement, as there have been reports the Israeli air force struck a Hezbollah facility one day after the ceasefire was signed. 

‘War offends God’

Pope Francis continued to express his concern for other areas of the world in conflict, including Gaza, Syria, and Ukraine. He shared his deep concern for the release of Israeli hostages and petitioned once again that “humanitarian aid to the exhausted Palestinian population” be available.

Speaking of the approaching winter season, the Pope remembered “martyred Ukraine” in the midst of a conflict that has been raging for almost three years. He called the combination of war and cold temperatures “tragic” and underscored that for the millions of displaced people, winter will be difficult. Pope Francis renewed his challenge to the international community “and to every man and woman of good will, to do everything possible to stop this war and to promote dialogue, fraternity, and reconciliation.”

Peace is not the responsibility of a few

With the start of Advent and the countdown to Christmas beginning, the Pope called to renew efforts to provide aid and hope to those living in war-torn countries. “The pursuit of peace is not the responsibility of a few but of all,” he stated, because if “desensitization and indifference to the horrors of war prevail, all of humanity is defeated.”

A milestone in South America

The Pope also commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile, which was signed on November 29, 1984. With Pope John Paul II, the Holy See's mediation led to a descalation of a territorial dispute between the two countries. Pope Francis used this as an example that when "we renounce the use of arms and engage in dialogue, we are on the right path."