Pope Leo Highlights Humanitarian Issues in Gaza During Christmas Sermon

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Pope Leo decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Leo, the first US pope, said the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world.

“How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he asked.

The Pope, known for his commitment to advocating for immigrants, recently brought attention once again to the plight of migrants and refugees, particularly those journeying across the American continent. His message, delivered as part of a Christmas blessing, underscores a recurring theme in his papacy: the importance of compassion and care for those in dire need.

While the Pope has previously voiced concerns over U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump, he refrained from naming Trump directly in his recent remarks. During a Christmas Eve sermon, he emphasized the moral imperative to assist the impoverished and the strangers among us, equating neglect of these responsibilities to a rejection of divine values.

In addition to his focus on immigration, the Pope has also repeatedly expressed sorrow over the living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza. Last month, he addressed journalists, stressing that a resolution to the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict must involve the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The grim reality faced by displaced Palestinians is vividly illustrated by scenes from the Al Maghazi Refugee Camp in central Gaza, where many endure harsh conditions in makeshift tents amid the remnants of their former homes. These images serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.

A view shows displaced Palestinians living in makeshift tents amid the rubble in the Al Maghazi Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip

Displaced Palestinians living in makeshift tents amid the rubble in the Al Maghazi Refugee Camp in central Gaza. Source: Anadolu, Getty / Moiz Salhi

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October after two years of intense Israeli bombardment and military operations that followed a deadly attack by Hamas-led fighters on Israeli communities in October 2023. Humanitarian agencies say there is still too little aid getting into Gaza, where nearly the entire population is homeless.

During Thursday’s service, attended by thousands in St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo also lamented the conditions for the homeless worldwide and the destruction caused by war more broadly.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” he said.

“Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths,” he said.

Calls for end to conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali

In an appeal on Thursday during the “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message and blessing given by the pope at Christmas and Easter, Leo called for an end to all global wars.

Speaking from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he lamented conflicts, political, social or military, in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, and Thailand and Cambodia, among others.

Leo said people in Ukraine, where Russian troops are threatening cities critical to the country’s eastern defences, have been “tormented” by violence.

“May the clamour of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” he said.