Pope Leo XIV addresses faithfull as he performs the Christmas mass at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on December 25, 2025. AFP
Pope Leo, who was elected in May after the death of his predecessor Pope Francis, condemned the "senselessness" of war and the "open wounds" it leaves behind, as he reiterated his hopes for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.
"Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds," the pope said at the mass in St Peter's Basilica.
Heavy rains have battered Gaza in recent days -- compounding the harsh conditions of the Palestinian territory's residents, nearly all of whom were displaced during the war.
The UN has said that an estimated 1.3 million people currently need shelter assistance in Gaza and has warned of the increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures dip.
"The war, in all its forms, has been harsh on everyone living on this land," Elias al-Jalda, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza, told AFP after attending a Christmas mass at Gaza's only Roman Catholic Church late on Wednesday.
"We hope this year will mark the beginning of a new phase -- one defined by a complete end to the war and the return of life to Gaza," said Jalda, one of dozens attending the mass.
Rami al-Far, another attendee, said: "Our celebrations are very limited. We try to live as best we can with what we have."
In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza.
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