Pope Francis has called for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages in his annual Christmas Day mass. He expressed his grief for the victims of the attack on October 7th and urged for an immediate ceasefire in the region. The pontiff also called for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed the need for the international community to provide humanitarian aid. Additionally, the Pope called for sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urged for peace in other conflict-ridden areas such as Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

He also implored for peace in Ukraine, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and touched on conflicts troubling other regions such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. The Pope concluded by calling on people of good will to find suitable ways to resolve social and political conflicts, combat poverty, reduce inequality, and address the troubling phenomenon of migration movements in the Americas.