Pope Francis presides over Christmas eve Mass, at St. Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican, Sunday Dec. 24, 2023.

Gregorio Borgia/AP

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Gregorio Borgia/AP

Pope Francis presides over Christmas eve Mass, at St. Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican, Sunday Dec. 24, 2023.

Gregorio Borgia/AP

During his Christmas Mass handle from contained in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis mentioned his coronary heart is with these struggling in Bethlehem, the place the nice of God is being muffled by the battle in Gaza.

“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem,” Francis said on Sunday, “where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world.”

The 87-year-old chief’s handle started with, “A census of the whole Earth,” the place he drew comparisons between emperors and God. He talked about how the highly effective search to make a reputation for themselves in historical past, whereas “the King of history chooses the way of littleness,” which teed up his subsequent level.

An emperor’s census of the entire Earth, “Manifests the all-too-human threat that runs through history: the quest for worldly power and might, fame and glory,” Francis mentioned. But God, the pope mentioned, “Does not eliminate injustice from above by a show of power, but from below, by a show of love.”

The pope has pleaded multiple times for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas because the battle erupted in early October.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his personal handle Sunday, published on X, previously often known as Twitter, advised the world Israel’s battle in opposition to “barbarians” would prevail. The prime minister’s handle got here on the finish of a weekend of bloodshed for Israeli forces, which misplaced 14 troopers on Friday and Saturday whereas combating in Gaza.

Meanwhile in Bethlehem, roughly 1,500 miles away from the Vatican, Christmas is cancelled. Manger Square — the birthplace of Jesus situated within the West Bank — is often teeming with vacationers, however the festivities have been shut down this yr, because of the battle, the Associated Press reported.

The violence has already claimed the lives of greater than 20,000 Palestinian lives, in addition to 153 Israili troopers and 1,200 Israeli civilians, because the combating started on Oct. 7.

Hana Haniyeh, the mayor of Bethlehem, additionally delivered a Christmas message.

“Our message every year on Christmas is one of peace and love,” she advised a crowd. “But this year it’s a message of sadness, grief and anger in front of the international community with what is happening and going on in the Gaza Strip.”